The Revision of Escaflowne
by BionicDolphin
Summary: An epic story that explains in high detail the culture and world of Escaflowne. Telling more of Dilandau's past and exploring his and other new characters in a realistic way, the winding tale is Gaea retold. Updated Often!
1. Chapter 1

She raced around the corner on her hunter green bicycle; the tires making a dark skid mark and the brakes squealing, sending up a volley of early morning rainwater as she managed to turn around completely. She sighed heavily, blowing a strand of smooth blonde hair from her eyes. The bus was late that morning.

She had stopped off at her friend's house that morning to pick up her bike. Since her friend had gone on the way to school long before her unless she was late, Phinny, as most called her, had picked up her bike by herself. She eventually pulled up to the school and leapt lightly off of the bicycle seat even while it was still moving. She unwrapped her bike lock, securing it to the fence and spinning the numbers. Putting her hands in her pockets, she ran a finger through her hair and hung her hand from her jeans, thumb in one pocket.

She skipped through tracks on her MP3 player as she headed towards her locker, twisted the dial and wrenched the door open. She threw her backpack into her locker, but not before she had gotten out her tennis racket. It was block G first that morning, which meant she had to go to the gymnasium with the other girls to do a tennis lesson. Phinny cast a hideously fake enthusiastic smile at no-one, sardonically imitating the perfect bleach-blondie girls in pink terrycloth that abounded at her school.

She had a black t-shirt on that bore the white silhouette of a dolphin. She empathised with the creature. Phinny was fairly small, lightweight, graceful, loved to swim and had a very good sense of hearing. She loved to write poetry and learn languages. She had a great appreciation for beauty in the smaller things in life and saw things differently than most people did.

"Phinface!" Shouted a familiar voice from down the hallway. She twisted her head just in time to see a girl running up to her.

"Hey Kels," Phinny replied. Her friend stood tall with auburn hair at shoulder length, a binder with a horse printed on it in one arm. She was in a different class than her, and had left the class on a bathroom break.

"I had better get going back to class or the teacher will be upset. Suffice to say it's gonna be a long day," Kels rolled her eyes as she said so.

"Bye, Phinhead!" She added, and she padded off down the hallway.

Phinny wasn't her real name. It was just a nickname she had earned the year before at a different school by way of her art and proficiency at swimming. She still went by it most of the time, used to being called the name by her friends and equals. She sighed, blew a piece of hair out of her eyes and walked down the hall in a miserable mood. She wouldn't be let into the gym now, because she was so late. Not even with the note her mother had written her.

She walked down the staircases, in no hurry now. She had to walk across the campus again, to the West building, where her gym class was sure to be making an exemplary pink-terryclothed performance at tennis. She swung the tennis racket on her shoulder and it bounced there as she walked, fancying it a sword. Adjusting the duffel bag in her grip, she blew at that stubborn piece of hair again; It always got out of place. Looking to the sky as she often did, she felt the first few drops of rain splash her face. Endless grey with blue patches, as usual on a day like then.

"Nnn?" She absently muttered as a spot in the sky grew apparent to her vision. The sky had been a normal blue-pocked slate grey, but now it had a glowing spot growing in it. Rather, it wasn't growing in the sky, it was streaking through it, punching through clouds, directly overhead.

She stopped dead in her tracks, dumbly watching the light cast itself in a humming beam all around her. Phinny's blue eyes opened wide and she grasped at the ground, seemingly relinquishing her from its hold. Struck dumb with shock and fear, she gripped the tennis racket and clung to it like life, her knuckles whitening.

All of a sudden, the world exploded open in front of her. Dazed and very confused, Phinny stood dishevelled, her thin form holding her tennis racket tight as if it were a weapon. Her mind cleared and allowed her to recognise objects and scenery, her brain displaying a forest with a dark purple sky and a thunderous metallic, hydraulic noise assaulted her ears. It was emanating from deep within the forest, fast approaching.

She backed up, away from the noise, but the fear and confusion inside her was bubbling up and beginning to paralyze her limbs, like thick molasses rolling into a mould. Eventually, she couldn't even back up anymore, and she just clutched the tennis racket so tightly that it made her tendons seize with the dull, but piercing pain of being overworked. She couldn't move; She couldn't even blink. She stood like a stone statue in a strange world, watching the spot in the trees just ahead that she predicted whatever was making that noise would come out.

The noise grew louder, its hydraulic echoing booming across the forest. Eventually, the trees shivered and then fell down in front of her. They lay flat, crushed by seemingly nothing, fifty metres from where she stood, mutely holding the tennis racket still. There was an indentation in the flattened trees that looked like it was a massive footprint. That's impossible! Nothing stepped there to make it, and nothing's been that big in over sixty-five million years! This is insane! Phinny's mind tried desperately to make sense of it all.

She examined the spot of air just above the footprint. The air bent, like a twisted fun-house mirror gone hideously wrong. Her jaw dropped. She knew this kind of thing. She'd seen it before in movies. It was an invisibility cloak that worked by somehow bending rays of light. It only made an object fully invisible if it remained stationary. Any movement would betray that something was there. Phinny caught herself breathing in short, ragged gasps. Just what the hell was going on?

The curved light shimmered and then disappeared, revealing something red and black like paint washing over. It was hard and looked to her like metal. She finally could control her head and she looked up, following the leg up that joined the body of the massive mechanical suit. Somehow, she knew the pilot was situated in the chest cavity of the massive thing, the chest cavity with doors that closed forward into a point, with bars across it so that the pilot could see out of it as well as his visualization screens contained within the cockpit.

"Well, well, what have we got here, Chesta?" Asked an eerily echoing voice that came from the cockpit of the suit. Apparently, the voice was speaking to the other mecha suit, which appeared closely behind the first. The other one was similar, but some of the parts were a little different and the colour was blue, not red. She swallowed heavily at the sight of the behemoths, whipping her upper body round.

Her schoolyard had disappeared. There was no East or West building. There was no campus. There was only a wall of strange, tall, spidery trees and a rippling purple sky. She tensed her muscles and brandished the racket. This was too strange.

"I believe we've found another human. What should we do with her, my Lord?" Asked the other voice, with a tone of great respect. The first voice was silent for a moment, weighing his options.

"Well, we could kill her now," He suggested. Phinny growled in a low voice so that the ... thing inside the mecha suit didn't hear her.

"How dare you think you can simply decide my fate right in front of me? Go ahead, step on me with that fantastic tin can of yours, go ahead!" She barked back, and spread her arms in an open gesture.

"I'm ready to die!" She shouted again. This bluff had better work, She thought worriedly. I hope I know what I'm doing.

The two voices were absolutely silent, presumably in stunned shock.

"... Or, my Lord, we could bring her back to Zaibach for some fun. She seems rather spirited..." The one that was presumably named Chesta finally spoke up.

"What?" Came the snapping reply.

"Sir, not that kind of fun, sir! I mean, Lord, we could take her back and make her a soldier. It would be fun to watch her fail." He finished.

"Hmmm." Contemplated the other voice. She was dead silent.

"Very well, Chesta. We'll take her back with us. 'Com the base, tell them we've got a guest, will you?" The one inside the red suit said.

"Yes sir, my Lord, sir." Chesta's reply was instant. Both of the suits were unnaturally quiet. The girl could feel their eyes upon her.

There was a mechanical whine and the expellation of pressure from hydraulic valves, and the cockpit cage door of the red mecha opened slowly. A slim boy emerged, about her age, seventeen or so. He was dressed in a uniform type regalia. At the joints, a black leather catsuit was visible, and red armour adorned him. He had a diadem of sorts about his forehead, which had a purple jewel that rested simply in the centre of it. His hair was silver, his skin pale, and it led her to believe the boy was probably an albino.

"Where are you from?" He asked her slowly, as if he thought she didn't comprehend his language.

"I... don't know. I was at my school, and then... I was here." She replied rapidly. He blinked.

"Oh good. So you do understand us." He replied simply, and looked slightly confused. It was hard to read the boy's emotions, as he kept his face as expressionless as possible. But, a slight flicker of recognition and confusion passed over his face.

"You wear odd clothes. You must be from further East... Asturia, perhaps. Or maybe you're from that backwater province..." He suggested and trailed off, half to himself.

"My Lord, do you think she is fit enough to be a soldier? She is a girl." Chesta announced, having dropped down behind him.

"Don't dare question me, Chesta. Of course she is fit enough... Look at her. She's thin, yet her build seems to be strong. She could take some punishment. She looks like she is fast, or at least could be. She's tall... And she's also... Well, let's take her back. Have you 'Commed the base yet?" He asked. Chesta replied that he had.

Chesta saluted, bowed, and then he turned on his heel and went back to his mecha suit. The tall, slim boy turned back to this curiosity of a girl.

"What is your name?" He asked her.

"My name is..." She hesitated.

"Gabrielle..." She finally let drop. "Sir!" She hastily added. He blinked.

"Good. You learn quickly..."

"Gab-ri-elle," He sounded out. He spoke with a seemingly Japanese accent, even though he was clearly Caucasian.

"Gabrielle. I like that. Well, you're going to be a soldier, and I'll be teaching you how to fight and fly." He explained, a lazy, sly tone in his voice. He reminded her very much of a cat. She didn't comprehend him.

His decision had seemed hasty at best. He seemed rash, prideful. Gabrielle was more than unsure of herself, but what choice had she? Stay here in this queer forest and perhaps get eaten by whatever manner of creatures dwelt here? Looking at the strange things they piloted, who knew what manner of living things abounded here.

"Chesta! Shall we go?" He snapped up to the pilot who was watching from the open doors of the mech.

"Yessir," He replied, and flipped agilely into the cockpit.

The boy turned to her again. He studied her hard.

"Are you sure I don't know you? Killed some of your relatives or something? You seem so oddly familiar," He said, breaking the silence.

"You seem familiar as well. But I don't think I've met you before, sir." She quietly responded. He changed the topic. Obviously he didn't like talking about things he didn't understand. Another sign of vanity and pride.

"You'll be flying in my guymelef back to the Fortress." He said, and she nodded, cowing along.

She stepped up to the thing. It was designed very well. It had smooth edges for aerodynamic capabilities and also looked intimidating. She looked all the way up, then back at the leg of the thing. This is all so strange, yet so familiar. Like I've been here before.

She didn't have time to think about it further.

"Go up." The boy said, gesturing to the thing. She looked at the massive height. She loved heights, when she was inside something, like a plane. It was the climbing onto something with the risk of falling off that made her shiver. The metal was well polished and looked slick. "Go," He said gruffly. She took a deep breath and gripped the metal, pulling herself up onto the leg joint, advancing steadily.

The problem came when she got to the thing's hip mechanism. She looked down. "Nnnn..." She groaned as she looked down. The ground had never looked harder. She swallowed. "Climb further, you're almost there!" He shouted from below. The fact that he had to shout for her to hear him frightened her further. Her muscles froze. She was locked in place. He watched her not move for a moment, then advanced towards the giant mechanical suit

He climbed up easily, with no hassle at all. He was right above her, sitting on the metal rim that jutted out from the leg joint.

"Get a move on, then!" He snapped at her viciously. His tone made her shudder.

She shrank away from him, shy at his snapping tone, and she slipped on the slick red metal. She yelped. Her hands scrabbled to get a better grip, but she couldn't and then gravity realized she was hanging there in the air unattended and made her drop, making her hit the ground all fifteen feet below.

Dilandau slid down the mech and picked her up off the ground. He held her with one arm and ascended the Alseides again. Opening the cockpit doors, he looked for a place to put her. The cockpit was fairly compact and was only designed to carry one person, the steering, navigational systems and other things like that. He looked at the chair. There was a spot next to it, and it looked just big enough that if he folded her up like a sleeping child he could fit her in beside him.

He did just that and then sat in the pilot seat. He 'Commed Chesta and then initiated the launch, and flew up into the air, spiralling and changing directory for Zaibach Empire's Floating Fortress.

Gabrielle awoke a while later in a bed somewhere. She didn't open her eyes for a moment, and prayed that she'd be at home in the morning. It had all been a strange dream, and there'd be the photograph of a spotted dolphin right next to her head on the wall when she opened her eyes. There was sunlight shining on her face; She could feel it. Yet, something was wrong about it. It just didn't seem quite right to her. She opened her silvery blue eyes and almost began to panic. She had hoped that it had all been just a strange dream, but it wasn't. It was quite real.

She was in a room that was a little dark, and one window. The window was fairly large, she noted, and she looked out. All she could see was sky. She sat up, but found that she was almost nude. Her ribs and top chest were tightly bandaged, and she was in her underpants, her left leg bandaged as well. What happened?

She pulled the covers up to her chin and tried to fold her legs up to her chin also, but cried out in pain when they touched her chest. She fell back upon the bed, tears stinging her eyes. It hurt to breathe. There was a knock at the the door.

"Miss, is everything all right?" Asked a feminine voice. Gabrielle couldn't even reply. The doorknob turned, and a slim woman of medium height entered the room.

"You have two cracked ribs, miss. Your ankle was badly sprained. With our treatments, your bone should heal quite rapidly and be better in a matter of hours. Until then, you should rest." She said and smiled.

"Do you want something to eat?" She asked. Gabrielle was famished.

"I'm hungry, but I don't know if I can sit up." She said.

"Well, just wait a little while. You should be able to sit up soon." The nurse assured her.

Gabrielle sighed and looked up at the wall. Why wasn't she surprised and shocked anymore that she was in a different world? Was it just the sleep and her adaptable personality or was it more? Why wasn't she weirded out completely? And why did that boy look so familiar? These and a million other questions flicked through her head.


	2. Chapter 2

She stared up at the crack in the ceiling. It looked like a dragon with outspread wings. _A land dragon, because that one has smaller wings than the dragons built for the air._ She wondered how she knew that.

"Do you need anything to help you sleep?" The nurse asked her.

"No," She replied almost automatically. "I'm fine." She said, and the nurse smiled.

"As you wish," The nurse said and smiled. "Just press the button next to you if you need anything." The nurse said and turned to go.

Gabrielle felt as if her ribs would splay open and her chest burst every time she took in a breath. She said nothing. She didn't want todraw more attention to herself. She stared back at the crack in the ceiling, and she eventually found herself slipping asleep again...

She dreamt that she awoke and found someone at the foot of her bed. She looked closer. It wasn't a some_one_ at all. It was a some_thing._ It opened its elongated, orange scaled snout with serrated teeth. Thrusting its head forward with serpentine fluidity, its yellow eyes glowed and flashed as its tongue formed out the word-

"Gabrielle." Said a familiar voice. She was still half asleep. The voice sounded distant and somewhat distorted; As if she were hearing it through a distance in a fog.

"Nnn...?" She muttered. She felt as if she were slowly rising out of the warm mist, her mind slowly returning to the surface. A sharp pain brought her all the way there with a sudden start. She cried out. It was her ribs again; They had been touched. She had never been one to have a high threshold for physical pain. She could bear the mental pain better.

Her eyes snapped open. Nearly faster than the eye could follow, the shattered nerves sent a jerking impulse. She backhanded the person who'd hurt her, sending the person back several steps. She immediately clutched her hand and stared at it dumbly, her jaw open. She hadn't meant to have done that. It had just... _happened._

"O-oh, Gods, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do that!" She was shocked at herself. She hadn't hit a single person in her entire life. She continued stammering apologies; She couldn't even look up and see who it was that she'd hit, she was so incredibly embarassed. Eventually the person silenced her. She shyly looked up, still holding her own hand like it was some kind of an evil pet.

It was the tall, slim boy in armour who'd appeared in the forest. He had a large red mark on his pale face. He didn't touch it, or even acknowledge that it was there.

"I startled you." He said simply. "I was fixing the bandage. The nurse was busy with another patient." He said monotonously.

"I apologize." He said coolly, and she got the feeling he hardly ever apologized for anything he ever did.

"I came to check on you, and to inform you that once your injuries have healed substantially, you are to become a member of my squadron. You have to get a uniform and weapons. Once you have gotten those things, you are to go to the Launch Bay at level one for your first flight lesson." He explained curtly. "By the way, my name is Dilandau." He added, in a tone that suggested it was a trivial thing.

He looked to his left, and then his right, and then he completed a short, shallow bow. He turned on his heel and left, his boots making a clicking noise on the hard polished floor. She watched him until he was out of the room. _How strange._ Gabrielle noticed that the light outside was getting dimmer. She was ravenously hungry, and had a longing to get out of the bed.

The nurse walked in just a moment after Dilandau had left. She had her eyes on the hallway as she walked in. She put her hand to her mouth and giggled slightly.

"He must like you," She said, behind a concealed smile. "He's never so polite to anyone." She continued. "Well, except of course to the High Master himself, but everyone's polite to him. If he wasn't, the High master would have Dilandau sent back, so..." She trailed off. "Well. Yes. Back to duty!" She finished in a sing-song voice.

They were both silent. "You know, he came to check on you twice while you were still asleep." She said after a moment.

"Really?" Gabrielle asked, a little bit interested.

"Yes, he said he had 'orders' to. That's obviously a lie because he only takes orders directly from the High Master, and nobody else." The nurse smiled.

"Like I said, he must like you." She added. Gabrielle was silent.

"He's so strange… He doesn't even know me," Gabrielle finally reasoned.

Gabrielle, her gaze turning towards the fading window's light, sighed. The nurse finally spoke. "He watched you sleep," She said casually. She said it as casually as if she'd said 'Water is wet.'

"What?" Gabrielle started, surprised. The nurse nodded with a smile and repeated it.

"For how long?" She asked. "Oh, I don't know. Only a moment or so. I had to leave the room to attend to another patient, and he told me your bandage was loose. I checked it quickly and I said he could tighten it, because I had to go." She explained. "So he did, I guess, and you screamed. I heard a slap. He must have made it too tight by accident," She shrugged and added, "Your pain should be gone now."

The nurse was right. Gabrielle could breathe without a problem or any pain.

"Where... Do I get clothes?" She asked the nurse.

"Um, let me check. Where are you going to go? Do you know which group?" The nurse asked. Gabrielle blinked.

"I don't know the exact name... But whichever one Dilandau is in charge of," She said. The nurse nodded and smiled knowingly.

"Okay, did he specify which rank?" She asked.

"Um, no…" Gabrielle replied.

"You'll take a blue." The nurse said. Gabrielle was confused.

"Excuse me?" She asked.

"Blue. In colour. You'll need to get measured, of course and get the right size." The nurse said. "I'll send for someone. Hold on." She said, and the nurse left the room. Gabrielle looked at the bandage on her leg. She set to work undoing the knot and unwrapping the bandage. The pain had almost disappeared completely.

In a few minutes, a boy in a blue and black suit came towards her. The outfit was similar to Dilandau's, except this boy's was blue, not red. He asked her to stand up, and she did as she was told, wrapping a small blanket around her waist first. He asked her to open her arms and hold them out to her side, and she did it without question. The boy withdrew a stick that must have been one unit of standard measurement in their world. He bent down and placed the stick pointing up from the floor.

He touched where the stick ended with his finger, and placed the beginning of the stick where it had ended before. He repeated the process several times. "Okay," Said the boy. "You'll take a medium, then. Please, follow me." He bade, and she reluctantly took a step forward. She cleared her throat. He half turned, and he saw her predicament. She obviously had to walk through halls with people in them, and she was clad only in bandages and her rather revealing white underwear. A faint blush line appeared across the bridge of his nose.

"I see." He said.

He told her to wait there for a minute, and then he turned the corner, only to return a moment later with her old school bag. She remembered she had taken it with her to the field. He placed it near her and turned around, standing stiff as a board, looking without emotion to his front at the closed door.

She rooted through the bag. It contained her new package of batteries, her MP3 player and a spare change of clothes. She gladly pulled on her favourite pants. Her boyfriend back home had given them to her. A pang went through her chest. When could she get home? She missed him. He was so thin that they could wear the same size pants. She smiled sadly as she slid them on and did them up. Slipping on a black shirt with cut away shoulders, she then tapped the boy on his shoulder to tell him she was ready. He nodded, and he started to walk down the halls.

She stayed close behind him, as the hallways were unfamiliar, and dark to her. They walked along many corridors, and she got quite a few stares. She found it odd that there weren't many females in the ... Wherever she was. She was eventually ushered into a room, and she was passed a pile of neatly folded clothes. They were all black and blue. She was then pointed in the direction of a changeroom, which she sighed and promptly used.

The clothes had knee high boots, which were blue, and they had a spike at the top. There were very tight black pants that clung to the smooth curvatures of her shape quite nicely, and there was a cloak that melded into a shirt at the top, with a collar that fitted high on the neck. She had shoulder guards, forearm guards, wrist guards, everything. She found it comfortable to move in, and quite flexible.

She stepped out of the changeroom shyly, and stood in front of the boy who'd led her there. He quietly cleared his throat and looked away.

"Er… Did I do something wrong?" She asked fearfully, and the boy shook his head convulsively, not meeting her gaze.

"P-please. The ... Rest of the squad is waiting for us. Um, my name is Viole." The boy finished.

"Okay. Thanks, Viole." She said, and smiled very softly.

"Mmm-hm. Y-you're welcome." He replied. He stepped in front of her again and led her down yet another hall. _Am I really that strange looking? Do I have a second head or something?_ She wondered, almost sarcastic.

"This way," He said, his voice returning to it's usual flat tone. They approached the room where the rest of the group was waiting for them.

"Oh, by the way, the squadron is called 'The Dragonslayers.'" Viole muttered just before he knocked on the door.

"Yes, sir." She said.

"Oh, you're my equal, so just call me my name. None of that formal stuff, unless you are speaking to Lord Dilandau himself. You must address him with a term of respect." He informed her, and then his knuckles rapped on the door.

They waited in silence for the space of one second. The doors flew open, revealing Dilandau standing at the doors, with his hands on the handles. He gave a poisonous look to Viole. "You're late." He hissed. Viole bowed.

"Apologies, Lord Dilandau. I was called in to fetch the new recruit." The boy responded in a soft tone that couldn't possibly have hidden any kind of disrespect to Dilandau at all. At the words 'new recruit' the rest of the group looked up. They all looked behind Viole, but Gabrielle was not visible to them just yet. "Fine." Dilandau replied in a dangerous tone. She could tell only idiots with deathwishes ventured to make this commander angry. She swallowed.

Viole stepped into the room, bowed again, and stepped to the left, revealing Gabrielle. The now bright light from the corridor made a golden glow on the shining metal and plastic and on the leather of her clothes. Her gaze dropped to the floor when Dilandau looked at her.

He barked an order to the Dragonslayers and they hustled to assemble in a line. Gabrielle tried to sneak into the line with them, but with a sudden movement, Dilandau caught her wrist and pulled her back to stand with him. She stumbled as she followed him. He took her wrist in such a way that it was firm, but didn't hurt her. She knew he could have easily, had he wanted to. He pulled her in front of them.

"This is Gabrielle." He snapped. Silence flowed around in the room.

"I am assuming she has never flown a guymelef, and she probably has little or no battle experience. Don't set the simulators so high that they will gut her like a fish," He continued in clipped speech. "Two of you will come with Gabrielle and I to the hangar to select a practise mecha for her. I want the two best mecha fliers to come with us. The ones left will obey the one with the highest rank amongst you. You will either practise fight, or train." He continued with a stiff tone.

He turned his head to Gabrielle. "You have already met Viole," He said in a different tone that was the smallest bit less harsh. "Next to him is Migel and Dalet, then Gatti, Chesta, and Guimel." He said, pointing to each boy as he said their corresponding name. "Chesta and Migel will come with us, and we'll teach you how to fly." He explained flatly.

"Yes, sir." She said quietly. The last thing she wanted to do was get this volatile commander angry. Chesta, the Dragonslayer who had been with Dilandau when they had found her, stepped forwards. He saluted, his newly clipped, short blonde hair moving gently, and stood at the ready. "Awaiting orders, sir." He said. Migel stepped forwards and did the same.


	3. Chapter 3

The hangar was a massive room, and she figured it was about a kilometre long and wide. It had mecha suits of all sizes in it, many shapes, with different appendages and weapons. They were organized row upon row upon row, each suit with a plate on its docking bay that read the name of the pilot that flew it. She followed the three closely, and they eventually stopped in front of a long row of guymelefs.

"Choose one." Dilandau instructed her. Gabrielle looked back up to the massive metal monstrosities, listening to the dank metallic sounds of the air swirling inside the massive space.

"You can make customizations to it later, once it's been chosen and registered." He continued. She nodded slowly.

"Yes, sir." She acknowledged and looked to her left. There was one that caught her eye. She started down the hallway after it.

"Lord, do you think it wise to let a girl into our squad and get a 'melef on the first day? A brand new one?" Migel asked. Dilandau's body went rigid with rage.

"You dare to challenge my authority and judgment?" He screeched with a wild gleam in his narrowed eyes, and Gabrielle whipped around just in time to see Dilandau land a punch on Migel's face.

A hand flew up to her mouth, and she ran back to where they were. Migel's eyes rolled up inside his head, and he swayed a few times before his legs gave out. She caught him before he hit the floor. He was heavier than her, and his sudden weight dragged her down a little. Migel was unconscious, and she made sure he was still breathing. His nose started to bleed a little. She looked up at Dilandau, standing tall above them, casting a shadow down on her. He looked imposing.

"... Are you going to do something about him?" She asked. "Sir?" She added hastily. She looked up at him, standing so high above her. The very bottom of his left eye twitched.

"N- Yesss..." He hissed.

"Chesta... Go take Migel to the medic." he said slowly, keeping his fiery gaze locked on hers.

"Sir?" Chesta asked, confused.

"You heard perfectly crystalline what I said! Go take Migel to the medic! Now!" He barked. "I'll teach her how to fly myself!" He growled. "Monkeys. I am working with _monkeys!_ If you want anything done correctly, do it yourself..." He muttered under his breath.

"Migel," She said quietly to him. His eyes flickered, then opened. "You're going to the medic." She said just as quiet. She knew his head would be ringing like anything after a blow like that. Dilandau's eye twitched again. Not from suppressed anger, but from a suppressed expression of confusement. Her actions seemed so familiar... The way she moved, the sound of her voice... Everything...

Chesta leaned down and helped Migel to his feet, casting Migel's arm around his shoulder. He hobbled off with Migel, supporting as much weight as he could. _Wow..._ Thought Chesta. _That was amazing. The way she spoke to him like that... And lived. I wonder if Dilandau is growing soft for her..._ Chesta wondered. _Oh, I highly doubt it. It's probably just the fact that you're not supposed to hit girls... I don't know..._ He thought as he dragged Migel off.

Dilandau looked back at the girl. He couldn't believe himself. Why hadn't he struck her? What had held him back? Something deep inside him had told him not to hurt her. Rather, to protect her. He studied her, and her large, expressive blue eyes looked back at the floor. He looked at the colours of them. On the edges of the irises, they were very dark blue, like an ocean. The dark blue lightened as it drew closer to the pupil. There were some lines of silver that looked like lightning bolts going through her irises, and the occasional soft ripple of gold. He ripped himself away from staring at this mysterious girl.

"Choose your guymelef, already. I need to check the operating systems and make sure they function." He said monotonously.

"Yes, sir." She replied smartly, and turned smoothly from him and walked back down the row of mechs, looking for the one she had seen a moment before. After a long time of walking, she stopped in front of one. He followed her, and arrived there in half the time it had taken her to reach the same spot.

She was looking at the new model, the Ending Dragon. It had been based off of the White Dragon that they were trying to capture, and furnished with the highest technology available. It looked just the same as the White Dragon, but this one was a smooth orange and jet black. It lacked the option of transforming into the humanoid form that the other suits and the White Dragon itself were capable of. He looked at the description panel. It had razor-tight controls, was equipped with an invisiblility cloak, and it could reach speeds in the air of over eight hundred kilometres per hour. Its running speed was clocked at a speedy eighty five.

He followed her gaze up to the thing's 'face.' It had yellow jeweled eyes that gave the pilot a crystal clear view of what the head saw, as well as numerous more vision screens on the interior. From what he read on the panel, the pilot could control the mecha from either the interior or exterior.

"Put your hand up to the panel at the front of the mecha and stand very still." He instructed. "If the mecha turns on, this is the right mecha for you." He finished. He looked up at the head again, its yellow eyes devoid of light, its long neck bent in a smooth curvature. He likened her form to it.

She stepped on the floor up to the panel, the dark, quiet room echoing with her footprints. The panel glowed, and characters in a very strange writing system beeped and came online as she drew closer. She put her hand over the panel, over the drawn picture of one, and placed down her hand. Both of them watched.

There was a low metallic whine. The mecha's eyes glowed the colour of sour fresh lemons, and the neck uncurved and moved downwards, towards Gabrielle. For a horrible moment, she thought that machine was going to open its jaws and swallow her, but it stopped with a hydraulic hiss in front of her.

"Okay, now walk up to its chest and place your hand on the crystal there." He instructed patiently. She looked back at him, and then walked up cautiously to the crystal. It was large and translucent red. She pressed her hand to it, and it sunk fluidly into the crystal, as if it were gelatinous. It rippled around her hand as she held it in. She yelped. "Keep it in the crystal. It's reading you to make sure you really are right." He assured her, and surprised even himself in the gentle tone he said it in.

The massive metal head of the dragon lifted it's head back to the curved position, and it's eyes glowed a hot white. Gabrielle caught her breath at the sharp pain, and then the crystal ejected her hand. The appearance was the same, except the colour at the base of the crystal was offset by a rich, darker red. Gabrielle's blood. She clutched her hand. The palm was cut open, and she was bleeding profusely. Her breath caught in her throat, and she stared wide eyed at it. The cut was gushing blood, and there wasn't anything she could do. A computerized female voice rang from the dragon mecha.

.: _Libreia online. Registered pilot's serial number 68372. :._ It said. Gabrielle's head was beginning to feel light. Dilandau turned his head back to her, as he hadn't been watching. He'd been watching the door for Chesta's return. He looked once, and turned around on his heel.

She was holding her wrist, trying to slow the flow of blood by squeezing and elevating it. Dilandau stood in front of her and he touched her hand to get a better look. All of a sudden, he saw an image in his head. It was of Gabrielle, but a long time ago... As quick as it had come, it was gone with a white sear in his mind. His eyes widened and he backed off from her. Something drew him back to her, and he almost involuntarily snatched her hand again.

He didn't know how he did it, but the bleeding stopped on her hand. The cut was still there, but it was sealing over rapidly. He watched it dumbly. There were clicking footsteps outside, and the door opened. Chesta walked in, and he saw Dilandau holding Gabrielle's hand.

"W-what's going on?" He wondered out loud to himself. He looked at the floor, and saw there was blood. She looked shocked, and he couldn't see Dilandau's face. _He cut her?_ Chesta screamed inside his mind. _Now he's gone too far! He shouldn't be trying to kill people in his own regiment!_

"Dilandau!" Chesta yelled. Dilandau didn't hear him. A high pitched, rushing noise in his head had taken over all else. Chesta took it as a sign of his malice.

"Hey!" He yelled, and dashed in between Gabrielle and Dilandau, Chesta withdrawing his sword. "Now you've gone too far! You shouldn't hurt her, you... You... Crazy idiot!" Chesta screamed, and put up a defensive posture around Gabrielle. Dilandau was stunned.

"What... Did you... Just call me?" He managed, trying to control himself from reaching out and snapping Chesta's neck. "You filthy ingrate!" Dilandau yelled, and smacked him. Chesta winced. "You! I give you a guymelef! I pulled you off of the streets! I helped you! How _dare_ you?" He raised his voice, and it took everything he had in him not to just kick him.

"No, how dare you hurt her! She did nothing to you!" Chesta roared back.

"Ooh, your audacity! I did nothing to her, either! If you will strip a few layers off of your incredibly thick skull and save yourself from jumping to conclusions, you will notice that I was _helping her_, you delusional fool!" He snapped, and Chesta blinked. "You idiot!" He snarled at Chesta. "I should just-" He began, and Gabrielle interjected.

"Woah! Guys, the mecha cut me, relax. I don't know how he did it, but Lord Dilandau stopped the bleeding and fixed the wound." She said rapidly, and Chesta flushed.

"I-I-I Oh no. How can I explain this... I thought you had cut her hand, Lord Dilandau, I apologize, I jumped to conclusions! It'll never happen again, sir!" Chesta stammered, and Dilandau ground his teeth and clenched his fists.

"Never, _ever_ speak that way to me again, or I will _personally_ kill you!" Dilandau snapped, and raised his arm to hit Chesta again. Gabrielle gripped it suddenly and without thinking.

"Please, forgive me, Lord Dilandau, but please, don't hit Chesta, sir. Please." She begged him. His gaze whipped around to stare her in those blue eyes again. His tense arm hesitantly relaxed.

"Fine..." He growled. "But just this once. I have a flight lesson to teach." He hissed.

"Why didn't he hit you, Gabrielle?" Chesta whispered to her when Dilandau was a few metres ahead of them. Chesta trying to say it in a low voice so that Dilandau couldn't hear.

"Chesta, shut your mouth." He spat. The colour drained from Chesta's face.

"I'm sorry, Lord, I was only curious as to why you hadn't-" He began.

"Don't question me on that subject. Never ask me about that. There is not an answer that you need to know." He menaced, and then was silent. "Gabrielle, enter in your number on the computer interface," He said, suddenly calm.

"What computer interface?" She asked him, and hastily added, "My Lord." Dilandau looked back at the description.

"Oh. There isn't one. It's voice control. Walk up and talk to it," He told her, and so she stepped up to it. The mech's eyes glowed.

.: _Visual unit recognition: Registered Pilot number 68372. :._ The computer's female voice spoke.

"Or, no need, I suppose. What a strange thing."

"Okay, now get in it." Chesta told her.

"Libreia, requesting access…?'" She muttered, unsure.

.: _Access granted. _:. Chimed the voice, and she stepped up almost instinctively to the thing's chest, where the doors opened with a hiss.

She felt at home in the cockpit. There was a computer screen with a keyboard, a comfortable chair, several buttons, switches and dials, and a steering mechanism. She rapidly typed a command in the computer and four screens appeared. They were a view of outside, but different ones used heat recognition, infrared, and night vision.

"Cool!" She exclaimed.

Outside the mech, Chesta turned to Dilandau. "Lord, don't you find it... Strange... That she knows how to operate this already?" He asked.

"I find a lot strange about her," He absent-mindedly responded.

"She fell from the sky, like those old legends say..." He trailed off, unwittingly voicing his thoughts aloud. Chesta pretended to pay no notice.

"Gabrielle, do you know what you're doing?" Chesta called out.

"Um, yes and no!" She shouted back, and she laughed. "And call me 'Gabbi,' Alright? … It says 'Primary Functions Online.'" She announced. They could hear her fiddling around with the gears and switches, finding out what weapons and gadgets the massive thing had on it.

"_Nice!_ This thing's got five different flamethrowers! _Awesome! _... It also has ... Are liquid metal claws as literal as they sound?" She looked through the system.

"Chesta, stay here. I'm going to get the mechas. We're going to take her flying." Dilandau said with a slight flicker of a grin. His expression was somewhat sadistic. Just what did he have in mind?

Chesta nervously saluted him, and stood watching her. Gabrielle had discovered the controls for the head, and she moved the dragons' face nose to nose with Chesta. .: _"Hello."_ :. She said through the dragon's head. The jaws opened. Chesta took a small step back. .: _"Relax, I'm just speaking through the dragon. The voice doesn't sound too tinny, does it?"_ :. Chesta shook his head.

"No, it sounds like you're inside the thing's mouth." He replied. The dragon slammed its jaw shut.

.: _"It's the 'Libreia,' not 'thing.' She has a name."_ :. She said through it, trying to sound polite. The jaw opened and closed. .:_"Know what's weird?"_:. She asked.

"What's weird?" He tilted his head.

.:_"I can control this thing mostly with my mind. I just sit in the chair, and two gauntlet thingies go over my wrists and ankles and then I control it. It's like I _am_ a dragon. It's quite odd. But I like it!"_:. She exclaimed through it.

She raised one massive orange dragon's forearm up almost to the ceiling, and the claws opened. Out of the palm of its three-fingered hand, a massive curved blade emerged. She made it withdraw, and interchange back to the dragon's normal paw-like hand. .: _"Watch out, Chesta. I'm turning around,"_ :. She announced, and she made the guymelef place the two slender arms on the ground to heave herself forward. The Libreia swung around, and she was careful to maneuver the great tail out of Chesta's way.

The mecha began to walk on all fours, and she followed where she had seen Dilandau go and turn the corner. She saw him all the way down the hall, and she walked a little faster. She then stopped directly in front of him, who was just activating his and Chesta's mecha suits.

.: _"Autopilot activated,"_ :. She said, mimicking perfectly the computer's voice. Dilandau whipped around to see her lift the dragon's arm and see the scythe blade emerge from it's hand. .:_"Target acquired."_:.

"Ah! Gabrielle, stop the damned thing!"

.:_"Target locked,"_:. She said, still mimicking the computer's flat, explanatory voice. The blade swung forward at lightning speed, and Dilandau turned to run from it. The blade blocked him. He heard her laughter from inside the dragon.

.:_"Squadron commander Dilandau identified as extremely gullible."_:. She said between the laughter.

"That's not funny." He said flatly. She laughed harder. He crossed his arms. He imagined how stupid he must have looked, and he controlled a small grin that was threatening to display some emotion. Her laughter died down, and she cleared her throat. "Don't do that again." He said, surprisingly still calm.

.:_"I'm sorry, Lord Dilandau. I couldn't resist. I must work on my self-discipline."_:. She replied. The orange horned head of the Ending Dragon bowed to him, the lustrous metal reflecting him in faded colours. He left it, surprisingly, at that. He just hadn't the time. She would learn. For the most part, this enigmatic girl was well-behaved. He supposed he could excuse her one misdemeanor.

He activated the two suits, and he climbed up into the red one she had seen earlier. A small bleep a few seconds later from her radar screen told her it was online. Chesta walked up from underneath her, and he climbed up into the blue one next to Dilandau's. They started a heavy walk in one direction, and she followed them. She noticed that her mecha sounded a lot lighter than them when it walked. The hydraulic noises coming from the Libreia were quieter, also. She was impressed by their mechas, however. They looked heavily armoured, and she could see that the red one had a variety of weapons on it at Dilandau's disposal. Chesta's looked similar, but his weapons centred more on blades than anything else.

She followed them to the launch bay, and she waited while Dilandau conversed with one of the operators. A moment later, there was a rumble as the door lifted away, revealing the open sky, thousands of feet in the air. They both walked up fearlessly to the edge, and Chesta waited for Dilandau to jump first.

The legs in the mecha snapped up as it fell, and an engine glowed at the bottom of the mech, stablilizing it and making it hover in the air. The arms retracted halfway, and several metal platings rearranged and became more streamlined. The mecha flew back up and hovered in front of the door, giving ample room for Chesta to do the same thing. She swallowed. It was not the flight she was afraid of, but her performance in front of those two. What choice had she but to appease these strange ones who had taken her in? She walked right up to the edge of the launch bay and looked down through the dragon's eyes.

There were clouds far below them, and sometimes when they moved, she could see a city or mountains below. She backed up from the edge.

.:_"What's she doing, my Lord?'"_:. Chesta asked Dilandau.

.:_"Just wait and see,"_:. He answered. There was a rumble above them, as they had sunk lower to allow room for her to jump off. Her mecha was longer than theirs, and also had a wider wingspan. The floor above them shook, and then an orange and black thing propelled itself off of the edge.

The wings opened with a snap, and her stomach felt like it climbed to her throat. She felt pressed down by the sudden gravity, and then she returned to normal. She found that the steering was very much like those flight simulator video games she had played before she'd come into this world. In fact, it bore such a startling resemblance that she immediately felt she knew how to operate it.

.:"_Now that you've got control, we want to see if you can track us. Think of it as a kind of game. Both of us have our invisibility cloaks on, and we're flying around. See if you can catch us."_:. Dilandau commanded.

She thought for a moment, and then she remembered a science lesson she'd had years ago. The teacher had said that the section of light that was visible to humans was actually very small. On the red side of the colour spectrum, there was infrared, and on the opposite, the violet side, it went to ultraviolet rays. She couldn't type on the computer pad, because she had to concentrate on her steering.

"Libreia, display infrared screen." She commanded.

The vision worked on a sort of headband. It went around her eyes with a comfortable melding fit. It displayed a panoramic screen of the view outside. The sky turned from normal blue to shades of red, and she turned her head to look all over the sky. She saw one, far up above her. She couldn't tell if it was the blue or the red one just yet, but she could see it. Pretending she hadn't yet, Gabrielle flew straight up and diagonal to it to get above. She watched it move in a zig-zag fashion, to her left. She continued climbing in the sky, and when the pilot had regained his confidence that he hadn't been seen, she swung upside-down and flipped over, changing her trajectory to the guymelef.

He realized her fake, and he dropped straight down, making random patterns in the air. She followed these easily; She was used to things moving erratically like that on her video games. Tracing his moves effortlessly Gabrielle drew closer to the guymelef, she noticed by it's darker shade of red that it was Chesta's. She drew up right above it, and the Libreia's claws came down, latching onto the metal surface. .:_"Gotcha!"_:. She cried.

.:_"Damn. Oh well. I guess I should tell you; Dilandau's using an invisibility cloak that can't be seen by infrared."_:. He explained.

.:_"You fool! You shouldn't have told her!"_:. Dilandau's voice rang with an acidic tone on the radio. She unlatched the Libreia's claws from the blue mecha's back.

"Libreia, track last position of radio frequency emission." She said.

.:_Last radio frequency emission from the Alseides was directly to your left._:. Libreia responded.

"Thanks." She grunted, out of habit.

She tried heat-seeking vision and other various modes, but she still couldn't see Dilandau. She made tight circles in the sky, concentrating on finding where he was. She suddenly had the feeling to grab, so she released the Libreia's claws that instant, and they latched onto metal.

.:_"Got you too, Lord Dilandau!"_:. She said with a smile, and he released the invisibility cloak.

.:_"How the hell did you see me?"_:. He asked her, totally shocked.

.:_"It's... Very difficult to explain, my Lord."_:. She replied.

.:_"I'm listening,"_:. He replied, insistantly.

.:"_I... You'll think I'm crazy..."_:. She said.

.:_" I want to know how you caught me."_:. He persistently asked of her.

.:_"Alright. I had a vision. That's how I saw you, Lord Dilandau."_:. She blurted. The line was silent.

.:_"Well, it's not unheard of,"_:. Chesta shrugged it off, trying to make her not feel so awkward. .

.:_"You mean to say, you closed your eyes and you saw where I was?"_:. Dilandau asked slowly. .:_"Basically, yes. I've never told anyone else that I can do that. Please, don't tell anyone that I can. They'll say I'm a freak. Please, my Lord, don't tell anyone. Chesta, you won't tell, will you?"_:. She begged.

.:_"No, of course I won't tell, Gabbi."_:. Chesta responded. Dilandau was weighed in loud silent for a moment.

.:_"It's our little secret."_:. Dilandau said, hating the fact that he knew every move and radio broadcast was being monitored. His radio crackled with a message from inside Zaibach.

.:_"Commander Dilandau, we need you. We have new information on the White Dragon."_:.

A male voice said.

.:_"Alright. I'm coming in."_:. He replied. He knew there was also more than new information on the White Dragon. He didn't want Gabrielle to go and have to visit the Scientists; There was no telling in what they might do. But, unfortunately, the circumstance was beyond his control, and if the Scientists wanted to see her, he could not stop them. He knew that they'd stopped monitoring the radio waves.

.:_"Gabrielle, don't tell them anything, for your sake."_:. He grunted, and he shut off his radio as he streaked towards the docking bay.

.:_"Chesta, what did he mean by that?"_:. She asked him.

.:_"Mean by what? I didn't hear anything."_:. He responded.

.:_"Oh, nevermind then. We had best go in now; It's starting to get dark, and I'm tired."_:. She said.

.:_"Yeah, me too."_:. He replied, and he flew back to the base. She performed a loop in the air to gather speed, and she followed him.


	4. Chapter 4

She exited the Libreia, and she followed Chesta.

"Um, Chesta," She began. "Yes?" He asked. "Where am I going to sleep?" She asked curiously.

"I don't know. You don't have quarters yet, so probably in the same room as one of us for tonight." He explained.

"Oh," She said disappointedly. "I was hoping I could get my own room." She said.

"Oh, don't worry, you will by tomorrow. You were just registered this morning, so you don't have a room yet. That's all I was saying." Chesta said.

They continued to the room she had been in to first meet the rest of the Dragonslayers. Migel was back, tenderly nursing one side of his face, which was badly bruised. Guimel was playing a game that looked like chess with Dalet, and Gatti was busily writing at a desk in the corner. She shyly said hello to the group of them, and then she walked up to the desk.

"Gatti, can I have a piece of paper?" She asked timidly.

"Hn?" He said, snapped out of his concentration.

"Sorry, I asked if I could have a piece of paper." She said, and apologized again.

"Oh, yeah. Sure. I was just writing poetry, sorry I didn't notice you." He said, and handed her a piece of paper.

"Thank you," She said. He looked on the desktop.

"Sorry, I don't have another pen. You might ask someone else. They might have one." He said, and smiled softly, returning back to his poetry. She looked around the room for the bag she'd had, and she found it, placed by a chair. She rooted through it and pulled out her green mechanical pencil. She looked around the room for something hard she could use as a table, and she came across a game board that Guimel and Dalet weren't using, and she returned to the chair.

Gabrielle leaned her chin on her elbow, resting on the board. Flicking her fingers in the air with her pencil in between them, she thought before she began to draw. She then realized that the desk was vacant, so she walked over to it and sat down. She looked at the paper that Gatti had been writing. It was written in Japanese. She could read it quite well, but she couldn't understand it.

"I wouldn't read Gatti's poetry if I were you," Dalet said in a low voice. "It's romantic. It'll rot out your brain." He continued.

"I happen to like poetry," She said, a little offended. "It's in Japanese, so it's not like I understand most of it. I can read it, though." She said.

"Okay, smart girl, what's the title say?" He said in a boyish tone.

"_Yakusoku Wa Iranai._" She read. "Not need promises?" She said, confused.

"Oh, that? He's writing a song or something." Guimel explained dismissively, and then went back to the chess-like game with Dalet. She gently placed the paper aside, and put down hers and continued to draw.

It was late into the night when Dilandau finally returned to the room. He looked half-dead with exhaustion, and he sat in his chair, not noticing the sleeping girl who'd fallen asleep at the desk just yet. All the others had long since gone to their quarters, and he sat there for a few moments to gather his wits before he went to his. When Gabrielle sneezed, he startled. He looked around the room, and saw her asleep at the desk, her head in her arms. He sighed to himself. Why couldn't one of the others simply have given her someplace to sleep? Now he was going to have to send for an extra bed for her to sleep on. All he wanted was to just go to sleep! He lifted himself from his chair, and walked over to her, tapping her on the shoulder. She didn't wake.

_Great, this is all I need. A deep sleeper. Joy._ He muttered in his head to himself, and he poked her again.

"Nnn..." She mumbled.

"Hey, get up." He said to her.

"Gnah?" She said as she opened her eyes. "Go 'way." She said, already half asleep again. He sighed again, and slid his arms underneath her kneejoints and shoulders, and lifted her up. She stirred, but didn't wake. She lifted her arm and held his shoulder. He took a step forward, rolling his eyes, and then another, and he slowly walked to the other end of the room, opening the door with his foot. He kicked it wide open so that he could pass through, and he walked down the hallway to the stairs. He was glad he only had to walk down one flight.

He eventually came to the doors of his quarters, and he opened them with one hand, bracing her with the other. He stepped in and shut the door. He stepped forwards and laid her on the bed. He thought of picking her up and putting her on the floor.

_I can't believe this. I'm going to sleep on the floor, aren't I?_ He thought. He looked at her again. _Yes, yes I am._ He walked over to the closet door and opened it, taking out the extra blankets he had for the winter.

He spread one on the ground and folded it in half. He put the other on the ground next to where he was going to lie down. He walked over to the next room which served as a bathroom and he fixed himself up, slipping on a pale sleeveless shirt and pants.He lay on the folded blanket, and pulled the other over him, his back to her. He reminded himself he had only five hours to sleep. He sighed in his defeat, and he was falling asleep before he even lay his head down.

A seeming second later, his internal clock awoke him, and he cursed it. He had to go and meet the others; No doubt they had been alerted of the mission as well. They had to go searching for that damned White Dragon again. After they got back, he and Gabrielle were to go and see the Scientists. A bitter taste filled the back of his throat, but he knew there wasn't really anything there. He blinked. He'd barely said more than brief sentences to her, and yet he felt this strange protectiveness towards her. Looking at his hand laying palm up before him, he flexed his fingers. The mind was such a strange thing. Lifting himself, he cast a glance over his shoulder at the figure lying curled in a ball on his bed.

Quizzically he tilted his head as he examined Gabrielle from afar, letting his arms drop to his side. The sliver of rising sun left bare traces of red on her back, highlighting the creases in the blanket over her shoulder. Stepping forward he leaned cautiously over the girl. Why was it he could understand intricate propulsion systems, accurately predict trajectories and speeds, read opponents' moves near flawlessly… And yet when it came to her and the strange calmness she gave, he had no idea how to recognise or deal with it. In his mind it was potentially hostile, this emotion, and thus must be treated with utmost caution.

His thoughts traveled back to those in white that were constantly examining and testing him for things he knew not of. Flashes of memory seared past, remembering the sick joy he got when he set alight to entire countrysides. He hadn't always been like that, he knew, but he couldn't remember what it was like before. The giddiness was very familiar. His eyes swept over this girl that had fallen from the sky. He wondered what they would bother him for tonight.

They seemed to take utmost pleasure in messing with his mind to the point of breaking. When he tried to fight them off and get them to stop, they stuck him with needles that made him lethargic and stupid. What was their point? It was a question gone unanswered for so long he had nearly forgotten to ask it. He got that peculiar feeling that he had to protect Gabrielle again for some reason. He didn't want Gabrielle to end up like him, afraid to have emotions, and so messed up inside that he felt he wasn't truly human anymore. He didn't want that for her. Perhaps bringing here hadn't been the best of ideas. It was no matter. They knew about her visions now. Scanning the radio broadcasts, they had ruthlessly pumped him full of so much drugs that he told them about it. He felt … Bad, he decided. What was the word? Remorse? Regret? Responsibility, perhaps.

He got a strange feeling in his chest when he thought about her, and he didn't know what it was. He had been trained to kill effortlessly, not to understand why ones' heart beat faster from anything else but fear. He had gone into the other room to get changed again. When he emerged he saw her asleep on his bed. That funny feeling inside his chest made itself known. It was shaky, almost. A sort of fear. Shrugging off thoughts for the time being, and decided he needed to wake her up.

He touched her hand, and he got a flash! Muddled images and sounds, no more discernable than if someone had burst into his room, shouted a foreign language and then ran off. Snatching his hand back, he stayed kneeling at the bedside, peering at her. Weird.

He finally got up enough courage and touched her again, with one finger, trying to wake her up. Nothing. He shook her shoulder.

"Gabrielle, wake up. Come on, wake up. We have to go," He said. He shook her again, and she stirred. She opened her blue eyes, and she startled at being so close to someone's face.

"Ah!" She exclaimed. "What are you doing? Lord Dilandau?" She asked, pulling herself away from him. "Trying to wake you up," He grunted. "And please, when we're not around the Dragonslayers, you can just call me Dilandau." He said, and she nodded slowly.

"Where am I?"

"My quarters."

She turned around and looked at the wall. He had a very large room, and she was sure she'd never get anything nearly as big or nice as this. The walls were a dark green, with a beige trim at the bottom and the ceiling. He had very few decorations, except for a crystal vase with a rose in it and a wine rack with several bottles. On the small table by the bed, there was a type of light, a glass, and the gold headband thing he always wore. She picked it up, as the small jewel on it intrigued her.

She was careful not to get fingerprints on it, in case he got mad at her. She watched the light play on the polished gold, and the way the light went inside the little jewel. The jewel was a soft lilac colour, and it made the light that touched it go white in wavy patterns.

"Where's my headband?" She heard him ask himself, and without turning around, she swung her arm around, the thing dangling off of her finger.

"Nn," He grunted, apparently in thanks, and took it from her. She fiddled with her fingers, crossing and uncrossing them as she sat cross-legged on the bed.

"Well, you have to get ready, because we're going on a mission to capture the White Dragon." Said Dilandau matter-of-factly.

"Okay," She said, and she stood and passed him to go into the bathroom. It surprised both of them how well she was taking all of this.

Something inside him didn't want Gabrielle to come on the mission with him. Part of him was afraid for her safety. He remembered it was his decision to take her back to the base with him. He thought it was the best thing for him to do, because she probably would have died out there in the forest, been eaten by one of the dragons that infested Fanelia's forests, or been captured by the White Dragon himself.

He decided that when the time came for them to chase the White Dragon, he'd send Gabrielle to circle behind them and scout. That way, she'd be safer than if she was in the front lines. He wished she could have learned how to use her weapons properly, but he had confidence that she'd learn quickly. After all, she could successfully fly a mech only three minutes after it had been deployed, and she had deployed it herself! He could, however, not allow her to come... But that would show the others and her that he was afraid for her, and it would make her feel incapable. It would also cause him to be the butt of their little inside jokes for the next while.

The door to the bathroom opened, and Gabrielle's shapely form stepped out, her hair freshly combed and her face washed.

"Okay, so what do we do?" She asked in a brave voice. It made his heart feel something like aching, to think that the Scientists may want to break her spirit as they had done to him.

"Just... Follow me." He said, and he stood and went to the door.

In the Dragonslayer's 'lair,' Dilandau briefed them on the situation, and explained, without a note of emotion, that they were to destroy a small town closeby to attract the White Dragon's attention. When he showed up, they were to persue and capture him. Gabrielle was shocked. She had to be responsible for an entire town's death? That could be hundreds of people! He went on to explain that when they returned, whether they failed or not, they were to report back to the room as soon as they had docked.

Gabrielle trudged off towards the hangar, lagging behind the others. Dilandau stopped.

"Why aren't you running? You're slowing us down." He said with a firm look, and if she didn't know better, she would have thought that just maybe, he'd had a note of concern in his voice.

"I'm sorry, my Lord. I'll catch up…" She said. She looked back up at him, and she had tears in her eyes. "Do I really have to kill them, Dilandau?" She asked.

"Come on, don't do that … Thing." He emphasized by waving his fingers with a sort of sneer. A failed, terse and unpractised attempt at comfort. She had watery eyes, but she blinked back her tears and said nothing further. She just kept a blank mask on her face.

He wanted to comfort her somehow, but he held himself back. He just looked back at her as he ran to the hangar with the others. She heard them suit up, and they waited for her, even though she had told them to go without her. She climbed into the Libreia.

She pulled the Libreia out of it's dock, and she proceeded to the end of the line. She watched as the others leapt off of the massive ship, one after the other. Guimel was the last to jump. She jumped off the edge of the bay last.

"Panoramic display," She muttered.

.:_Acknowledged._:. The computer replied, and as the mecha thrusted up into the air, and the visual unit enclosed about her head, and before the radio turned on, she whispered,

"Forgive me, O Souls of the Damned."

Normally, she would have enjoyed the feeling of being up in the air, but this time she hated every second of it. Noting that Dilandau stayed silent, she hated the way the other Dragonslayers had normal conversations about gossip, girls and weather as they flew towards the town they were going to obliterate off the face of the planet.

.:_"How can you possibly speak like that? Do you not realize what we are going to do to hundreds of peoples' lives? Have you no respect? Why are you not silent for those whose lives we are about to take? We are about to descend and rip and rend families apart here! Do you not care?"_:. She spat into the radio, her emotion pure contempt and malice. The casual conversation stopped. They were all silent for the remainder of the journey, save Dilandau, who said one word.

.:_"Dive."_:.

All of the mechas dropped, and she gracefully aimed the Libreia's curved nose down into the clouds. As the pressurized interior made her ears pop, she occasionally winced at the crackling pain. She circled above the town, wishing she could send a warning and an apology to the hapless citizens below.

Dilandau activated the invisibility cloak with Gabrielle's words ringing in his ears. She was going to hurt after this, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. He was going to have to order her to descend upon the town if she didn't do it herself. He watched her circle in the sky and could almost feel her anguish as she saw the first of the mechas land and begin pulverizing the town.

She flew to the other side of the town, landing gracefully in the streets.

.:_"Run!"_:. She yelled through the dragon.

.:_"All of you! Please, run! Run for your lives! Run the other way, they're coming!"_:. She yelled. She shifted the mecha's weight, and a small child ran out into the streets filled with pandemonium. She saw the side of a blue guymelef unit crash into a building on purpose; Itss massive arms ripping apart the residential building. The small child wailed and cried for its mother, and looked up at the massive blue statue of doom above him.

She rushed forwards and scooped the child up in the dragon's claws, trying not to step on anybody, which was exceedingly hard. They were milling about like turbo-charged ants, screaming and running from the blue thing and the orange and black dragon. She backed the Libreia up, accidentally smashing a building with the long, clublike tail of the dragon.

.:_"No!"_:. She cried in vain. A wall of the house came away, and several people lay dead in the rubble. "Mommy!" The child screamed, and Gabrielle felt her heart being torn into pieces. She had spared the child, but killed his mother. The child wriggled out of the mecha's metal grasp and jumped to the ground.

Just then, another blue behemoth crashed through the other side of the building she had damaged. The thing slid in front of her and flipped over from the impact, crushing the small child. Gabrielle screamed so loud she thought her eardrums would burst.

_"No! No, no, no, no, no!"_ She choked, the tears stinging her eyes. Her whole body shook with anger, and the suit stood on its two hind legs and let out a dragon's roar to the sky. Gabrielle held her head in her hands, and the mecha, still under her control, did the same.

More of the Dragonslayers appeared in response to her torn scream, surrounding her. They destroyed things in their way as they made way to her. She heard voices crackling through the radio, but she was too distraught to make sense of them. All of the sudden, Dilandau's voice came through louder than the others. He yelled across the radio waves,

.:_"Everyone except Gabrielle and I return to Zaibach immediately! It's under attack!"_ :.

Instantly, five huged engines blasted as the legs of the blue mechas retracted inside the metal bodies, propelling them into the air. Within a matter of seconds, the only people who remained were Gabrielle and Dilandau. She called to him.

.:_"Why are we still here?"_:. She asked in a panicked voice.

.:_"We have to stay and wait for the White Dragon. It's our only chance. You have to stay with me because I don't think it is within your capabilities to be at the base right now while it is under seige."_:. He told her firmly, and she swallowed. Her eye travelled up to the sides of the mountains, where she had seen a flash of movement just a second before.

A purple wing membrane appeared against the white of the snow-capped mountain. She pointed the dragon's head up to the mountaintop, and she yelled out,

.:_"Dilandau, look behind us, it's the White Dragon!"_:. A mechanical hiss sounded as the red body of the Alseides pivoted on the road. He turned just in time to see a shining mass of white, green, and purple smash into his body, sending red, black and green tonnes of metal reeling backwards, smashing into the ground. The White Dragon stood overtop of the fallen Alseides, and its parts interchanged as it changed from the dragon into a different form. It now looked like a knight with a massive purple cape, and it withdrew a huge sword. Dilandau struggled, but couldn't shift the weight of the massive white mecha.

Gabrielle, seeing the arm of the mecha raised to slash down upon Dilandau, reacted even before the mechanics of the white knight sent the signals to the arm to slash down. She barreled into the white mass of metal, sending it sprawling into the ground some metres away. It lay still for a second, and then it made many metallic sounds as its parts interchanged yet again and the dragon stood before her, its green eyes burning in the white of its metal. It ignored her for the moment and went straight for Dilandau, who by this time was standing, ready for him.

The White Dragon hit at Dilandau, but he avoided the blow, deflecting easily. The legs disappeared, and he shot straight into the air, almost teasing. The white one crouched and leapt up from the ground to try and snatch at the Alseides, but he missed on account of the red guymelef activating the invisibility cloak. The Dragon snapped open its wings and flapped them hard, pulling itself into the air. It swirved in a circle to gain speed before attempting to gain altitude. The dragon caught sight of Dilandau's movement and slashed him across the chest with the curved blade that Gabrielle also posessed.

The systems in the Alseides shuddered and died, and the engines, losing their power, let the Alsieides fall. The cloak shimmered and revealed Dilandau. The suit was left paralyzed, and the only thing Dilandau could command it to do was to release back it's legs to stand. She observed that he didn't move, and she could see through the damaged doors of the cockpit that he was trying desperately in vain to move the massive suit. As the White Dragon thrusted forward to deliver the final blow that would kill the pilot inside, Gabrielle dove forward, spreading the Libreia's black membraned wings, and blocking the dragon's potentially fatal blow. The dragon struck at her again and again, but she found she could almost read his moves before he executed them, slapping them aside one after another with an apparent grace that surprised all three pilots. She shouted at the White Dragon,

.:_"Get away from him, you bastard!"_:. The reply was almost instantaneous.

.:_"Make me!"_:. She heard the voice reply from the opposing mecha. Gabrielle delivered an unexpectedly hard punch to the head of the dragon, relishing the sound of the punch connecting and the shorting circuits. She commanded the Libreia's central computer system in a desperate voice,

"Flamethrower, anything, fire, weapon, whatever, just hit him!"

A valve opened and interchanged the Libreia's right claws with a flamethrower, blasting the White Dragon with searing heat. She then gave the command to rechange the flamethrower with the scythe on her claws. She gouged at the Dragon, but it recoiled and she sliced only air. She heard a humming noise directly behind her and twisted full force at the direction of the sound, careful not to step on the mecha beneath her.

The White Dragon had attempted to fire a laser from its mouth, but the mouth of the dragon was askew and the shot missed her completely. It fired into the sky, punching a hole in a cloud high above them. The dragon made an attempt at getting at the Alseides from an odd angle to surprise her, but she lashed her tail and delivered a crushing blow to his shoulder, which sparked under the impact and sent some debris flying. She heard the pilot cry out inside. He must have been joined to the thing by blood crystal, like she was. That meant that any damage deliverd to the mecha was felt by the pilot as well. She felt remorse for him, but she knew that he posed a threat to her and her commander, and so assumed a defensive posture.

She slashed out with her right arm, the scythe easily ripping through the purple fabric of the White Dragon's wing membrane, and she tore up into the air with it still attached to her claws. She flew up to almost equal the start of the snow on the mountains, and flipped and sent the White Dragon hurtling towards the ground. Not bothering to follow it, she streaked downwards to the fallen Alseides.

The dragon convulsed and then it's failing systems allowed one more shape change into the White Knight. It got up just as she landed, and Gabrielle observed the jagged tear in the cape where she had ripped it. The hydraulics whined as it stood, and it pounded off into the distance, diving for cover into the deep green foliage.


	5. Chapter 5

She shook as she sat in the pilot's seat, her body involuntarily twitching with the aftermath of shock and panic. She stood absolutely still until she felt confident the white thing was really gone, and then she turned around to face the Alseides. She sent a radio signal.

.:_"D-Dilandau?"_:. She stammered. She heard no reply, so she exited the Libreia and ran up to the shorting body of the Alseides. She saw Dilandau inside. She was very quiet as she climbed the rim of the Alseides, trying to get to the smashed up cockpit. She heard him shift his weight in the broken glass.

He had, his back to her, his body still as he surveyed the carnage before him. Smouldering chunks of buildings, twisted metal and broken bodies lay before him.

"D-Dilandau?" She called softly, quaking so hard that the metal and plastic of her armour was clicking on the Alseides. His head snapped up. "Dilandau... I'm b-behind you." She said. He turned around.

"You're alive," He blurted in a flat tone, and half turned to face her. She crawled over the twisted and torn metal and fell into the cockpit. She got on her hands and knees shakily.

"I-I did it." She said, and she gripped her arms as if she were cold. She shook in spasmic waves as the adrenaline's effect died off, and her pupils were contracted to pinpoints. She hung her head and began to cry, not caring that she was in front of him. His expression was stoic.

"What's wrong?" He asked her, although he was sure he already knew the answer.

"I-I-I'm a monster! I k-killed someone, Dilandau! Th-They're dead because of m-me!" She started. He was right. "I killed the m-mother. It w-was an accident, I swear! A-and then, the kid got away from me, and..." She started to sob as the image replayed again and again in her mind of the mecha falling on top of the child. "The kid was killed!" She blurted and she shook harder than ever before. "And all those o-other people I saw d-die..." She cried. "Dead, and it's all my f-fault! I'm a murderer!"

He sat at the other end of the cockpit, watching her cry, listening to her. She looked so alone. Thoughts flickered in his mind. Why did she care for these people? He watched her cry for another moment or so, and then he shuffled across the cockpit. He held himself back for a second, but then he gently put his arm around her shoulder.

"Shh," He hushed, imitating so many other people he'd seen when they did this. Blinking uncertainly, he ran his hand very lightly up and down her back. The shock had all been bled out of him from years of experience, but her tears seemed to bring just some of it back. She leaned her head against his shoulder piece. As he looked up from her and at the leveled city all around them, he felt a pang as well. Her crying grew softer.

"Come on, we have to go back now," He whispered to her, and her crying slowly died away. He nervously pulled away from her, and she sat there, looking miserable, but complying. "Come, now." He insisted in a soft tone that surprised him. Dilandau backed up from her and offered his hand to her. Gabrielle looked up at him, smokey grease and dust smeared on her face making her eyes stand out like jewels. She gently took his hand. She stood up slowly, brushing herself off, and he helped her out of the wrecked suit. They jumped and landed on the ground, Dilandau buckling on one knee. A dust cloud was kicked up as he fell onto his side, but he immediately got to his feet.

"You're hurt," She said worriedly. Her tone made him sheepish.

"It's nothing. Let's go." He said in a commanding voice, and she followed behind him, trying not to see the image of the child being crushed that was burned, it seemed, in the backs of her eyelids.

"Libreia, open." She said very quietly. The doors opened. She stepped into the cockpit again, sitting in the seat. Dilandau slipped in beside it, and made himself small enough that he could fit. She was mildly surprised; He was nearly six feet tall. She showed none of her surprise, and she commanded the door to shut. "Can you open a radio channel to the base?" She asked.

.:_At once, commander.:._ The computer replied.

.:_"Status report,"_:. Crackled a voice.

"Mission failed. I dealt damage to the White Dragon, but he escaped. Alseides has been nearly destroyed. Dilandau is with me. Is the base still under attack? Over." She asked. There was a slight pause.

.:_"No. Please return immediately.Over and out."_:. The voice said. She took in a shaky breath.

"Let's go." She said quietly, and the Libreia fired up and took off, adjusting the directory for the Fortress. The mecha streaked up into the sky, looking hundreds of times better than the pilot who was operating it felt. She wordlessly operated the controls, making sure they weren't being followed.

"Oh. I forgot to mention," Dilandau said, breaking the silence. "We're going to eat when we get back first thing, and then..." He trailed off.

"And then what?" She asked in a flat tone that Dilandau usually used. It made the hairs on the back of his neck rise to hear her use it.

"I have to take you to see some people." He finished quickly.

"Okay," She said innocently and obediently.

She continued to stare blankly.

"Gabrielle, there's nothing we can do about it, okay? I understand that you feel guilty, and so do I sometimes. But we cannot change what people tell us to do. It is not in our place." He said in a tone that betrayed his concern and had lost its usual hard edge. She lifted the vision unit for a second to look at him. She couldn't help but thank him silently, just for being alive. Their gazes met, and she looked into his eyes until he looked away.

"Watch out, I think we're approaching the base." He said quietly. She replaced the visual unit and steered the Libreia into the docking bay.

They walked out together, and she followed behind him to wherever they were supposed to go. It turned out to be a room with a large table, and all the Dragonslayers were all at the side. Dilandau passed them and sat at the head of the table, and she assumed that this was a position of power. There was an empty chair next to Gatti, and so shyly sat down. Gabrielle hadn't eaten in the past day or so, and she was so hungry now that she thought about it. She looked at her wrist, and she wondered what the tight leather that encased her wrist would taste like. She looked about the table nervously, and looked at the room. After a few moments, Dilandau's meal was served.

It was on a large platter, and it was fairly well-sized portions. It was roast meat of some kind, mashed potatoes, green beans and carrots, and he had what looked like a bun next to it. She found she was salivating at the sight of it and she swallowed. Dilandau sat and waited politely for the other's meals. _My God, I can't wait! I'm so hungry!_ She thought to herself. It smelled so good, and the scent was further intensified by the raging hunger ravaging her insides. Several servants walked up carrying plates, but what the plates bore on them was so hideously different from what Dilandau had on his! She watched them bring up six plates of food, if you could call it that. They were steaming piles of grey glop, it looked like. A plate was put down in front of her, along with a knife and spoon. She swallowed again. She stared at the mass. It had pale yellow and pinkish chunks in it. In some part of the slushy, quivering mass, it was greenish. She picked up a knife and poked it, gingerly. A bubble appeared where she had poked the mass, and it burst, letting forth a putrid smell that made even her empty stomach turn over. Steam came from the hole that the bubble had made.

"It's high in protein," One said to her with a grin, and then he returned to eating the stuff ravenously with the others. She sniffed it. She found it smelled uncannily like urine. She tried not to make a face as she pushed it away.

"Why aren't you eating, Gabrielle?" Dilandau asked her in a clipped, quiet tone as he cut a piece of meat.

"Oh, I'm... Not hungry." She choked. Her appetite had disappeared. He looked up at her.

"You haven't eaten in ages. Eat." He said, the look he cast her steely. Her gaze returned to the glop, and then back at him. She didn't say anything.

"I... I'd honestly rather not." She said, extremely shy at refusing him. The others stopped eating and looked up to see the sparks fly. He was about to say it was fine, when he saw everyone looking at him. _I have a reputation to protect, but..._ he thought.

"Fine!" He barked. " Don't eat, go starve, see if I care. Go then, your quarters are on the second floor, third to your right. I will come after the meal to take you to see the Scientists. Stupid girl." He snapped. She blinked back tears of frustrated, hurt embarassment.

"Y-yes sir!" She stammered, and she stood and bowed before leaving the room. They could hear her starting to cry very softly as she ran down the hall. Dilandau felt like an absolute heel.

"You made her cry?" Gatti said, squinting at him, putting down his fork.

"Shut up, Gatti." Dilandau snapped. "She doesn't eat, that's her own choice." He growled. Awkward silence fell amongst them. The Dragonslayers were horrified as a whole. Gabrielle didn't entirely seem like one of them - She seemed like a guest in their ranks. Yelling at her was some kind of unwritten taboo.

Migel looked up from his plate.

"Go to her, sir." He said, and winced at his broken jaw.

"Yeah," Seconded Dalet. "She's not used to food like this. I think she deserves a good meal before seeing the scientists. Besides, she's never killed anyone before, sir." He reasoned.

Their commander grumbled and moaned as he got up. Why was he taking their stupid advice?

Gabrielle found her quarters easily enough and sat down on the bed. She began to cry again. _Just my day! I kill people, I disappoint my superiors, and embarrass myself in front of my equals! I'm such an idiot! _Gabrielle was trying hard to fit in. This place was so strange, and it felt like no matter what she did, she did it wrong. A few moments later, she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," She said very very quietly, and pressed the door release. The door hissed as the pressure expelled and it retracted into the ceiling in one piece. It was Dilandau.

"Sir?" She asked. She blinked back her tears and looked at the ground.

"A-are you here to yell at me, sir?" She asked him.

"No, Gabrielle. I'm not here to yell at you." He said. "I'm here to say I have a reputation to uphold. I didn't want to yell at you particularly, but I had to. I'd... Much rather you not be angry with me." He said, a cough tagging along the end of his sentence.

"Why should you care if I'm mad at you? You're my commander. You could throw me off the walls if you wanted to." She said.

"Well, I wouldn't do that. I enjoy your company." He said stiffly.

"Thank you." She blushed, looking at the floor. She was still curled up on the bed in the corner of the wall. "I have to take you to see the Scientists now." He said. He stepped into the room, and he formally offered her his hand to help her stand up, disguising the alternate reason he offered his touch. She touched it lightly as she stood up.

"What are they going to do?" She asked him nervously. He thought for a minute.

"I don't know." He replied.

"Why do they want to see me, sir?" She asked him. His avoidant demeanor made her frightened. If he was scared of something... Most certainly then, she should be. "Why?"

"Dilandau," He muttered.

"What?"

"Call me Dilandau."

They walked down a long corridor which was blindingly white. She got goosebumps from the energies of the place. She'd always been highly sensitive to psychic energies and vibrations, and she felt really bad ones here. Really bad. She looked over at Dilandau, walking beside her. He looked extremely uneasy. They came to door, and he opened it for her. She swallowed.

The room was white, and it seared her eyes, blinding her for a moment. The sharp smell of a clean, sterile environment burned in her nose. The smell of fear, pain and panic, undetectable to most humans, hung thick in the air. A man in a white coat approached them He spoke with a smooth voice.

"Hello, Dilandau. I see you've brought ... Gabrielle here?" He asked him.

"Yes." He growled. The man then turned his sharp, piercing grey eyes into Gabrielle's.

"Okay, we have to do some tests on you." He said. "I am Dr. Jerrick. We'll be running a blood and brain test on you today." He explained, and she shuddered. Something about him was unpleasantly familiar. She saw how tense Dilandau appeared to be here, and she figured again that if he was afraid, she should be too.

Dr. Jerrick led Gabrielle to a metal table. "Please lie down here," He instructed, pointing in a room behind a window at a table. "Dilandau, you can come if you feel you want to." He said. She nervously walked into the room behind the window. There was a large table in the centre of the room, with a light right above it and surrounded by machines of many undeterminable purposes. She was in the room alone with Dilandau for the moment. She looked at the thick leather straps on the table. She swallowed.

"I'd never get out of those. Dilandau, what exactly are they going to do to me?" She asked nervously.

"Oh, probably just some blood tests and brain wave monitoring or something." He suggested, and was reassuring himself at the same time. There was that strange feeling, almost like a knot in his stomach. It told him to protect her.

"I'll be right here, so... Don't worry, it can't be that bad." He said.

"_That_ bad?" She asked.

Dr. Jerrick walked in. "Please lie down," He told her. She nervously complied, and he fastened the straps around her wrists and ankles.

"W-what are those straps for?" She asked fearfully.

"So that you don't fall off." He replied nonchalantly. "I need a sample of your blood." He stated and he withdrew a large needle from a drawer. Her eyes widened.

"Nnn!" She yelped as he came towards her with the needle.

"Just relax your arm. It won't hurt much." He said. She tried to make her arm as relaxed as a noodle, but it didn't really work. Once she felt it pierce her flesh, she squeezed her eyes tightly and she yelped again as he retracted it cleanly. A syringe full of her warm, red blood rested in Dr. Jerrick's hand. He removed the needle mechanism and placed the vial in a small machine that rocked back and forth to keep it from congealing.

He then withdrew another syringe, filled with a clear yellow fluid, and she squirmed.

"What's that?" She asked.

"Just a sedative." He said soothingly.

"No! No sedatives! I don't like sedatives, no. I want to stay conscious, please. No stuff that makes me sleepy." She said rapidly. The memories of her childhood operations came flooding back: The fear, the gas masks, the needles. She was most afraid of letting go of her consciousness. She hated not being in control. Sedated sleep was a sleep that you couldn't wake up from until the drug wore off, and she was afraid of that. She had a terminal fear of those, and she squirmed insanely when he advanced her.

"No! Please, no! I'm afraid of those drugs, please don't make me fall asleep! Please," She begged, her fear growing with every step Dr. Jerrick took towards her.

"I'm sorry, Gabrielle, but we have to find out how you see the things you see!" He exclaimed, and he advanced again. Her head twisted to where Dilandau stood, off to the side. Her look was of complete and utter betrayal.

"Dilandau...? How could you...? You were supposed to keep that a secret!" She cried out, tears welling in her eyes. Her gaze that fell upon him was one of hurt. He dropped his eyes away from her in shame. It was his fault she was going through this.

"No! Get away from me! Don't stick me with that needle! Please, I'll do whatever you want, I don't care about pain, please just don't sedate me! Please!" She begged frantically. Dilandau spoke up.

"If she says she doesn't want it, don't make her take it." He said stiffly.

"Dilandau, please. You are here to watch, not to participate!" He snapped, and Gabrielle squirmed wildly, completely petrefied of that needle the man held in his hand. He was right over her now, and she cried, hot wet tears streaming down her face. She was defeated. She was going to lose control.

"Dr. Jerrick, I'm allergic to those! Those cause muscle spasms in me and I can't breathe! Please, don't!" She screamed, her eyes wide and following the tip of the needle.

"There is only one person we know of who has that allergy..." Dr. Jerrick said. "But I have to make sure. Relax. This is the type that you're not allergic to." He assured her. Dilandau walked up to the table.

"Dr. Jerrick," He insisted. "Don't do this. Can't you see she's scared out of her mind? Look at her. Just leave her alone. I'm sure whatever tests you have to do, you don't need to put her under. A general anesthetic, anyways. I'm sure you could use some Daro venom for a local." He said.

Dr, Jerrick ignored him, and he raised Gabrielle's sleeve. She cried even harder, her eyes squeezed tightly shut, her body rigid with paralyzing fear. Dilandau almost didn't know what he was doing when he gripped her slender hand. Memories of himself strapped to the table in a mindless, thrashing episode of fear came back to him. He could understand her. For the first time in his life, he looked on to another being with sympathy. He reached out to snatch the syringe away, but Dr. Jerrick glared at him.

"Do you want to be put on a table, too, Dilandau? I'm sure I can update my test results on you. Watch if you want to, even hold her hand like you're doing, I don't care. Just _don't interfere. Got it?_" Dr. Jerrick hissed at him. He looked at himself, his gloved hand around hers, and then Dilandau seethed inside. He wanted to pound the man's face in! The urge to protect her was so strong that he felt if she cried one more tear in her fear, he was going to be forced to wring Dr. Jerrick's throat. It tugged on his insides like a hook, along with that funny feeling he sometimes got in his chest. Perhaps he should undergo a test... See what was wrong with him... No. Whatever it was, he was sure it wasn't allowed for him, and he didn't want to be mentally thrashed any more.

She cried as Dr. Jerrick injected her with a little more than half of the dose of the clear yellow liquid. "Dilandau, I've decided to compromise. This won't put her completely out. She'll be drowsy, but she won't be forced to fall asleep. If she does, she does it of her own will. Are you happy with that?" Dilandau looked at Gabrielle, beginning to fight the drugs. "I can always put her fully under." He menaced.

"I'm fine with it." Dilandau replied abruptly.

"Good." Dr. Jerrick said.

Dilandau held her hand still. He wished this Jerrick doctor had not made him clarify all about the fuzzy radio waves they had received from Gabrielle's first test flight. She was trying to fight the drugs out of her system, and it seemed that she was winning for a long while. Eventually, her grip on his hand weakened ever so slightly, and then little by little, he saw her slipping away from him, the misty look in her eyes giving the drugs' effects away.

"You lied to me!" He snapped at Dr. Jerrick. Gabrielle shuddered, and he saw the consciousness flicker back into her eyes. She blinked slowly, and her breathing was deep.

"No," He grunted, and he approached her limp body. Dr. Jerrick proceeded to lift her shirt to expose just her higher abdomen and nothing more. "Aha!" He exclaimed.

"She has the scar! Johannes, come here!" He called, and another scientist walked in from the next room. He looked at the scar.

"I see." He said. He looked at Dilandau.

"And she ... fell from the sky, did she?" He asked.

"Yes." Dilandau replied quietly. "I saw her myself."

'Johannes' and Dr. Jerrick went to a corner and conversed quietly, out of Dilandau's earshot. He couldn't make out their whispers. All he could tell was that 'Johannes' had been studying her blood sample and had found... Something highly unusual about it. He couldn't piece it all together just yet. He looked back down at Gabrielle. Her eyes were shut, and her breathing was deep and regular. She'd fallen asleep. The drugs had taken their effect. He continued to hold her hand dutifully as the scientists came back. Still, he didn't quite know why. Perhaps it was because he knew she needed it.

"Dilandau, she fell from the sky. She can't be trusted... We don't know if she's an enemy spy. Don't promote her, just keep her where she is. Most of all, don't get close to her... She might turn on us." He reasoned coldly. "And remember your training," He spat. "Don't care for anyone, in case the day comes where you might have to kill them." He said, and he turned away. "She might turn on us," He repeated. "She's no good. Take her away." He said. "But wait, Dr. Jerrick." Said Johannes. "I want to do a brainwave on her..." He said, and he attached a few cords to her head, and Dilandau watched as a rapidly flicking needle recorded scribbles on a paper.

"She is..." Johannes trailed, and then he told Dilandau to take her back.

"The effects of the drug should be wearing off in a while. Take her back." He said. He detached the cords from her, and he lifted Gabrielle into Dilandau's arms.

Dilandau carried her to her quarters, and he punched in her code in the ID lock at her room. He knew all of his Dragonslayers' codes. He stepped into the room, carrying her, and he placed her down on the bed. He noticed how scratchy the blankets were, and he wrinkled his nose at the thought of trying to sleep on them. He stood back up and turned to go. He stood near the door, but turned around and looked at her sleeping. Why did he consistently get that weird feeling in him when he was near her? It was kind of pleasant in a very strange, strange way, but he figured he would never get used to it. Maybe he should look it up on the computer. Maybe he was sick or something. _But doesn't being sick mean you feel horrible... All the time? This doesn't feel horrible, nor is it all the time. It's just when I'm with her._ He reconsidered looking up illnesses on the computer. _Maybe I should look up 'emotions' instead._ He thought. The commander opened the door and stepped outside.

As soon as he'd left, she opened her eyes. She looked to make sure he was really gone. _So what is this? I can't be trusted? What did I do? How could he betray me? _She curled up into a ball. Why couldn't she just disappear? Then it occurred to her that she _had_ disappeared. From her home. She'd never see Kels again, or her cat, or her boyfriend, or mother and father. None of that. And now, she was going to be distanced from everyone here because she'd 'fallen out of the sky and can't be trusted?' She wallowed in her misery for what seemed like a long time.

After about an hour, there was a knock from the lower part of her door. Someone must have kicked it.

"Come in..." She sighed, and she pressed the button. The door opened with a hiss, and she didn't even bother to look at who it was. Maybe it was those scientists, come to tell her she was useless and couldn't be trusted, and then stab her with needles again.

"I brought you some food." Came a familiar voice. She looked up, and it was the weirdest, most out-of-place thing she'd ever seen in her life. It was Dilandau holding a food tray, and he gave it to her. "Here," He said. "Will you eat that? The rations aren't exactly that appealing." He stated. "I know that I'm always hungry after I come out of there... I made it myself," He added, and she thought she detected the slightest bit of boyish pride. She thought about smiling at this.

It was a sandwich. She thanked him quietly, then picked it up. She ate it quickly, eager to satiate her hunger. She finished it before she knew it.

"How are you, Gabrielle?" The question was practised, she could tell. He had so little experience with others!

"What, going to go tell your friends in white about me for a follow up?" She snidely remarked, not thinking of her place. Just for that moment, he was just a young man and she a young woman, and he had betrayed her. The corner of his eye twitched.

"Gabrielle, it's not what you think -" He was about to continue when she stood up and walked out the door, headed for the docking bay.

"Thanks for the sandwiches, sir." She managed, her voice near breaking. She couldn't even trust her own commander.

Her heels clicked on the floor as she walked down the hall, turning to the left, walking into the docking bay. She stepped up to the Libreia, and its yellow eyes glowed faintly before activation. "Libreia, open." She commanded it. Its doors opened, and she sat in the comfortable seat. She pulled her small MP3 player from her pocket and put in her earphones.

"Libreia, open bay doors." She said.

.:_Acknowledged._:. The computer replied, and sent a signal to the doors to open. The guymelef's wings opened and she soared out into the clear night. She had no idea how far she was going to fly away from the Zaibach Fortress, and she didn't have an intention of going back. She knew she would have to eventually, but right then she just wanted to fly on forever.

Back at the base, Dilandau fumed. There was an announcement.

"Dilandau, please report to the Dragonslayer's headquarters immediately. Thank-you." It said. _Why? _He wondered, but he headed for the room anyways. He got there only a few moments later, and Gatti was there, holding a piece of paper that he proceeded to read to him.

"Pilot number 68372 has departed on a mecha flight. While this is not prohibited and is in fact encouraged for training reasons, it imposes a danger upon Pilot number 68372 because curfew rules will be enforced in a half hour. We ask that you persue Pilot number 68372 and return back to the base. Curfew lockup will be extended for another half hour to give you time to do this. Thank you." Gatti read. "Which one is Pilot 68372?" Gatti asked worriedly.

"Gabrielle," Replied his commander.

"She's gone? This message is already twenty minutes old." Gatti exclaimed.

"Oh, shit..." Dilandau swore, and he headed for the docking bay.

_If I can't get to her in time, she'll be locked out overnight. If I can't get to her, what about me? I'll be locked out, too, in the Oreides. I'm screwed..._ He thought grimly. _If the fall from the sky doesn't kill her, the wild animals certainly will. She has next to no weapons when the Libreia runs out of power, which it will soon. We're both screwed... _

By this time he was already in the Oreides and preparing to jump. The heavy dock's doors opened and a blast of cold night air at high altitude washed over him.He pressed a button on the interface and a tracking grid appeared. He set the modifications for the Libreia's type and then he flew after it at the highest speed his engines could bear.

He passed trees faster than he could see them, and the mountains blurred together to make a greenish coloured mass. However, the computer knew what it was doing, and followed her flawlessly. He noticed that the curfew was closing in five minutes, and he knew there was no way he could make it in time. He continued anways. He noticed that the blinking red dot that represented Gabrielle on the screen had ceased movement. Dilandau homed in on the signal. He landed as carefully as he could over the rocky terrain and exited the Oreides. They were miles from the Fortress, and the computer said they were in some near uncharted areas of mountainous forest. Wonderful.

_Gabrielle, why did you pick _this _place for your angst-fest?_ He complained as he trudged about. Why did he care so much? Why wasn't he angry? Perhaps it was that mote of understanding.

He was surprised to find Gabrielle sitting high above on a jutted out rock overlooking the ocean. The moon shone silver on her features and illuminated half of her so perfectly. He snapped out of his little thought, and he began to ascend the small hill up towards her. When he reached the summit that she sat upon, he spoke quietly, so as not to startle her.

"Hey,"He called to her softly. Without turning her head or breaking her look upon the stirring waters far below, she replied to him in a sad tone.

"Hey." There was a moment of mutual silence. "I'm sorry I said that to you, I was just so angry." She finally spoke.

"Yeah," He answered, explaining nothing. She hadn't been expecting a recognition of his own error. She turned and looked at him, and she smiled very softly, which he figured was an invitation to sit by her, so he swung lightly over the tip of the rock that separated them and he sat down.

"You know, the curfew is passed ten minutes ago." He said grimly.

"What's curfew?" She asked him, and he looked to the ocean. "All 'melefs have to be inside at a certain time because the Fortress locks up at night to prevent from attack. Only exceptions are elite missions that nobody talks about." He said.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you follow me like that. I didn't mean to." She apologized.

"You didn't know..." He sighed. "There are strange creatures that roam around these parts of the country during the night, so we should go find someplace safe to stay until first light tomorrow." He explained. She nodded, and stood carefully, taking a last look at the glittering sea. She turned and slid down the face of the rock towards the Libreia. She opened the doors and waited for him.

"I'm sorry again, Dilandau."

"Just walk in the mech for now, we don't want to use up too much power." He explained as he climbed into the Oreides' cockpit. The two suits started to walk through the forest together for quite some time before they came to a suitable place. Dilandau told her to hop out, and she did after him. They placed the mechs on standby to save power and let them recharge. Gabrielle found a few pieces of wood and some sticks and began to rub them together to make a spark out of the friction. He scoffed.

"You don't need to do that," He said.

"Well, then how do you propose we make a fire?" She asked him. A peculiar glint in his eye made itself known to her.

"Just watch!" He said in a tone she'd never heard him speak in before. "Move back." He announced, and he returned to the Oreides. One massive arm of the red suit lifted, and a gout of flame blasted from the tip, lighting the large sticks on fire. He then turned it and grabbed two dead trees, halved, quartered and heaved three of the quarters into to the fire. He placed one a good distance away from it, presumably to use as a seat. He then exited the suit, and hopped out. He stood proudly before the fire. "And _that's_ how you start a fire!" He exclaimed.

She giggled a little bit and sat down on one of the logs. He sat on the other end.

"So... When does the Fortress reopen?" She asked him.

"Morning. We're going to have to spend the night here." He said. "It's too bad you didn't know about curfew." He added, and she nodded slowly.

"Then I wouldn't have unwittingly dragged you into this mess." She said. "But you didn't, you did, and here we are." He said, shrugging his shoulders. She smiled sheepishly, and she watched the fire eat into the wood, slowly sucking the life out of it. She had always been fascinated by fire. She loved it. It was too far away from her to give her adequate heat, and she began to shiver. Dilandau noticed this.

"You're cold?" He asked in more of a statement.

"Y-yes. A little." She stammered. Her teeth were beginning to chatter.

"I'm cold too." He said, and did nothing about it for a moment.

"I-is there anything we can get from the mech to k-keep us warm?" She asked him.

"No, not really." He said, and he looked at the section of broken log she was sitting on. It was big enough to fit two...

He stood and stepped over to the other section and sat on it next to her.

"We can keep each other warm." He said matter-of-factly. He looked into the fire. He considered moving closer to it, but he figured that the sparks might get them. There was only a row of stones separating it from the ground, and there might be flammable things on the ground. As long as it wasn't catching, he figured he should leave it. He put his arm around her to keep her warmer, so she would stop shivering. Much had happened since he had decided to take this strange girl in, and it had taken some definite pulling of strings. Punching of faces would have probably been a more apt description, however... The far distant howls of creatures on the moutains to the side of them reached their ears. He stirred. Dilandau stole a few glances at Gabrielle as she contemplatively stared at the flames, listening to them talk in some ancient language. There was something he found inherently pleasant about how she looked. He looked down at her again, and she looked back up at him. That's when it happened.

A feeling as hard to resist as instinct came over him with a rush. He leaned down just slightly, and he briefly touched his lips gently to hers, kissing her. It lasted but a second or two. He felt her body stiffen from surprise, and he became aware of a tight aching feeling in his back. It stopped after a short time. He paid it no mind. Dilandau pulled just a little back from her, and she opened her blue eyes. He exhaled, having held his breath through the pleasant confusion. She smiled at him shyly, a little blush on her pale features, illuminated by the firelight.

A black feather floated down between them, and Gabrielle caught it in her fingers. She looked up, slightly past him, and her eyes grew wide.

"Dilandau, _look! _You have... You have _wings!_" She exclaimed, but all her voice was gone from shock. He turned his head to the side to look, and... Indeed, he _did_ have wings! He saw one, massive and shining ebony black. It looked like a raven's wing, except on a much larger scale.

His jaw dropped. He found he could control them. He flapped them, and a great gust of displaced air whooshed past them.

"I... I know?" He blurted, near struck dumb. He flapped them again. He stretched one high above him, almost straight up, and then he folded the other. He spread them both at the same time, and then he stood. He looked at her curiously. What had made him do that? More importantly... Wings! Like the Fanelian King. He stared at the ground intently as he tried to remember his parents. Nothing.

"Your wings are gone," She said, amazed. "They just... Sucked back into your body." She said. She stood curiously and walked around to behind him. He instinctively turned to face her. "Turn around," She said with a distant, intrigued look. Reluctantly, he complied.

She inspected the torn material. It was torn halfway down his back, the leather busted through, evidence of a great force. She touched his shoulder blades with one hand. He turned his head halfway to see what she was doing.

"Can you do it again?" She asked, and stepped to the side of him so that if the wings did come out again, they wouldn't knock her backwards.

"I don't know." He replied. "I'll try."

He knelt on the ground and crossed his arms, shutting his eyes. He concentrated for a moment, but grew frustrated after a good five minutes of nothing and slammed his fist on the gound.

"Dilandau, relax." She said softly.

"I can't do it." He said bitterly. She looked at the torn material.

"It takes a lot of force to rip through leather and punch through some metal, too." She said. The backs of his shoulderguards were all bent out of shape at the expellation of the wings. He quieted and tried again. No effect. She thought for a moment, and then an idea struck her.

"You might as well take off that thing, it might help." She said, in a practical tone. It was true. He slipped off the arm guards and the bent shoulder guards, letting them fall to the ground with a clanking noise. He pulled off the ruined leather over his head, smoothing down his hair when he pulled it off.

"What does that have to do with anything?" He asked, a confused expression on his face.

"Well, you won't wreck your shirt anymore, and it will be easier for your wings to come out," She explained. That's all she'd thought about it when she'd suggested it. But now, when she looked at him... _He looks good shirtless._ She girlishly giggled to herself in her mind.

"Try again," She suggested.

"It won't work," He said stubbornly.

"Please, I have an idea." She said.

"Fine, but I'm telling you it won't work." He said flatly, and she smiled at him. Just the way she smiled and the light played about her, it made him look at the ground and shrug in begrudging agreement.

"Okay," He finally muttered. She walked to his front and gripped his ice cold hands.

"Forgive me in advance,"Gabrielle said, and stretched up and kissed him on the cheek. Then she kissed him properly, letting go of his hands. There was a slight '_fwish' _noise, and then he stood, his wings extended fully behind him. Dislodged feathers floated down around them. He opened his eyes surprisedly when she pulled back.

"You." He started, lowering an eyebrow, but couldn't think of anything else. She smiled warmly.

"See? Don't be so quick do dismiss ideas." She said.

"But... You didn't tell me first." He said, tilting his head to one side.

"I know. You might have disagreed if I'd told you." She said to him, making a playful expression. He looked to the tree beside him.

"No," He said simply, a newly experienced hot feeling creeping over the bridge of his nose. "I wouldn't have."

She smiled.

"Try to fly," She said, changing the subject for his sake. She didn't think he'd ever _really_ been embarassed before. He nodded and turned, lifting his wings high above him so that he didn't bump her with them. He put his foot on the Oreides to climb it. He figured he could jump from there.

"Go fly." She whispered to him. He began to climb the Oreides, and he sat atop the mecha's head after only a minute or two, the occasional feather blowing from his wings to the ground. He stood shakily on the smooth, polished surface. He was beginning to rethink trying to jump from this height.

The wind stirred his hair, and his wings fluttered a little as he regained balance. _What if they go back when I jump off?_ He thought nervously. A strange feeling bubbled up in the middle of his stomach. It felt like a creature was swimming in there. Fear. He was about to just shake his head and climb down when he reminded himself... Of himself. He was a soldier, and an officer, too. He wouldn't let a height like this scare him! He was only thirty feet off the ground, and he had wings, like that cursed White Dragon's pilot. Better than that other boy's. His were black, he smugly told himself. Not a sissy white. He looked back at Gabrielle down below him, and he coiled back to jump into the chilled night air with his shining black wings.

He took in a deep breath, and he leapt into the air, his wings spreading to catch the air. He reached the critical split second moment where he would either begin to fall, or rise up into the air. He began to fall. He used everything in him to make the wings pound hard in the air, making him stop and hover for a moment. Slowly, he started to rise, and he tried to make himself move forward. Nothing happened. He startled, awkwardly flopping about in the air with all the majesty of a fledgling. Half falling, he allowed himself to sink back to the ground.

At the very least, he landed gracefully, with a sweep of his magnificent wings, and he stood back on the ground, breathing fairly heavily with the effort of flight. His wings retracted. She was sitting complacently on the log, near the fire, which had begun to burn down. She was smiling softly.

"I wish I could fly," She said. She stared up at the space between the leaves longingly. "You're so lucky,"

He blinked. He'd never thought of himself that way.

"Anyways," She continued, "I'm tired." She yawned.

"How can you just accept all this?"

"All what?"

"You're so far away from wherever you just came from, you're in an army without cause and you just watched me get wings out of my back. I don't even know if I can comprehend it, let alone accept it."

"Oh, all that. Well, there's no use in freaking out about it. I'm here, aren't I?" She shrugged.

"Where are we going to sleep tonight?" She wondered aloud.

"The 'melefs might be good." Dilandau said thoughtfully.

"Well, the systems stay online as long as a pilot is present in the cockpit and I thought we were trying to recharge them." She reasoned.

"True." He said, "But I don't have any other better ideas, how about you?" He said. Her gaze turned to the soft earth by the fire.

"There," She said nonchalantly.

"I guess." He said flatly. "If we have to."

He gathered up the remnants of the leather shirt and placed it on the ground.

"Use that as a pillow." He cleared his throat. She stood up from the log and made her way to the place where he had placed down the clothes. She slowly and sleepily lowered herself down on the ground and placed her head on the makeshift pillow. She curled up as small as she could comfortably, and watched the fire embers glow as they began to die.

"Y-you should put on another log," She commented as she shivered, feeling the utmost cold, but refusing to show signs of it. He nodded agreeably. He walked not far before he found a hefty dry log and poked it into the fire. She watched the sparks skip and dance about. In barely a few moments, the fire was crackling again, but she still felt cold.

He went and lay on the other side of the fire, and watched it too. She didn't notice that his gaze more than often wandered inquisitively to her. She shut her eyes and attempted to sleep, but every few minutes she would shiver, waking herself up. She did this several times without complaint. She sneezed, and made an exasperated noise. She had almost been asleep! She shuffled a few inches closer to the fire, but it made hardly a difference. Any closer though, and she feared a spark might catch. She sighed in her predicamant, and attempted to sleep again, all her attempts in vain. She could feel his watchful eyes on her and it didn't help. She pretended to ignore it and went back to trying to sleep.

There was a very slight shuffle in the dirt as he stood up. He treaded softly, so as not to wake her again, just in case she had finally managed it. No. She shivered again and her eyes opened. He lay down again, but this time beside her, putting one arm over her. He was cold himself, but he figured that two together would keep them warmer. He was silent. Slowly, and over time, she stopped shivering. Her eyes closed, and she finally slept. He watched her sleep, for a moment. Once her muscles had relaxed, and her breath had slowed and become deeper, he pulled her closer to him. Not because he was cold, but just because he _wanted_ her to be there. It felt good to him. Why, he didn't really know. It was unclear to him. He just wanted it. The feel of it, perhaps. Feel. Such a new term. Such a confusing concept. He held her firmly with his left hand, and he fell asleep that way.


	6. Chapter 6

Something poked his bare shoulder. Dilandau awoke with a jolt of adrenaline. His first reaction was to withdraw his sword, pointing the edge of the long blade at his aggressor. Dilandau opened his eyes, squinting from the light. The forest was filled with pale golden light, and ... Standing around him were Chesta, Migel, Dalet, Viole, and Guimel . He could tell by the stupid expressions on their faces that they were trying not to laugh at him.

"Still keeping her warm, eh, Lord Dilandau" Migel tittered, and he controlled his laughter with enormous effort.

"Shut up, all of you." Dilandau growled menacingly. "It's not what it looks like." He tried to explain, still in a low tone.

"Oh, come off it, my Lord." Dalet sighed. "We all know you've grown soft for her." Guimel said.

"Oh, _really_? Well, you've grown _hard_ for her!" He snarled.

"Please, be quiet, lest you wake her." Chesta said softly, before Dilandau could reply with another stinging comeback that would have again offended Guimel's manhood.

They were all silenced. All of them were mildly surprised that Gabrielle was still asleep, her back to them all.

"_Fine,_" He whispered, "_But if anyone- _anyone_ -squeals to anybody - even to her," _His eyes flicked to the ball that was Gabrielle.

"_The little squealing piglet's head will be rolling across the floor._" He hissed at them. They all nodded vigorously.

"Yessir." They echoed, eyes downcast. None of them doubted the truth in that statement.

After a moment or two, Gabrielle sat up slowly.

"Nnn..." She muttered. Her eyes flickered open, focusing slowly. "Ngah!" She exlaimed, and she jumped backwards. "W-what are you all doing here? How? What? Huh?"

"We were sent here," Chesta explained quietly. "To look for you."

"Oh." She said. "Who sent you?" She asked, curious at who had assumed command when Dilandau had been absent.

"_I_ did, O My exquisite, sublime Flower of the West," Gatti said, stepping out of the bushes. If Dilandau had been an animal, his hackles would have risen. Gabrielle blinked.

"Oh, um... Thank you... Ah..." Gabrielle was lost for words and chased the vision out of the corner of her eye. Suddenly the bark on that tree looked very interesting.

"I gave the order to find you, you who inspires poetry. As second in command, I felt it was my duty." Gatti said. Dilandau's blood was practically boiling. _One more word like that, and I'll-_

"So, Gabrielle, once we get back to the Fortress today... Just a shot in the dark, but I was wondering if you'd like to join me for dinner. Privately, sometime?" He said haltingly. Dilandau shook with bottled anger.

"_Y-you!_" He cried. Gatti quaked.

"W-wh-wha-what, s-sir?" He quivered under Dilandau's basilisk-like glare.

Dilandau restrained himself.

"You... Fly back. Now." He said, barely managing to spit the words out.

"B-but-" Gatti started.

"Your audacity sickens me! Do not dare contradict me!" Dilandau screamed at him. "Get out of my sight!" He barked.

"Y-yes, sir. Right away, sir. Immediately, sir." Gatti stammered. The second in command mustered a shaky salute and ran to his guymelef faster than a fleeing antelope.

Dilandau turned, looking avidly for something to punch. He came across a tall rotting log, and he punched it, ripping a hole into the bark. The log was not hollow, but he made a considerable hole deep into it. He cracked his knuckles.

"Would anybody else care to try my patience?" He snarled. A resounding

"No sir!" Made a flock of birds fly away, frightened at the sudden volume. Gabrielle shrank away from his direction cautiously.

"S-Sir, permission to speak freely, sir?" She stammered.

"Granted."

"If I may be so bold sir, why did you yell at him so?"

Dilandau's eyes flicked to an empty forested space to the right.

"Acting inappropriately on a mission."

"Yes, sir." Gabrielle nodded her head, still confused, however accepting. The girl understood why the others were so anxious to follow whatever was ordered of them.

Climbing over slick metal, Gabrielle entered the Libreia's cockpit. In little time at all, she was flying with them all, high in the sky, tracking the position of Zaibach.She noticed some bickering going on between two pilots. Private radio waves hammered at each other, and she watched lazily as the Oreides neared a blue model.

A resounding crash broke the relative quiet of thrumming engines. One of the Dragonslayers was spiralling uncontrollably to the ground.

"Computer, who is that falling?" She asked urgently.

.:_Dragonslayer Gatti._:. The Libreia replied.

"I should have guessed…" Gabrielle muttered to herself.

Stooping into a dive to catch Gatti as he fell, she observed coolly that his primary flight engine had been punched clean through. She spread the Libreia's dragon wings to brake as she caught him. The Libreia was working hard to regain a bit of altitude.

.:_"I think I may just love you,":. _Came forth from an enthralled Gatti as she pulled him up, back into the sky.

.:_'What was that?"_:. A destraught, defensive voice shot through. The Oreides was plummeting, aimed straight for Gatti. She covered him with the body of her mech, still trying to raise him. The Oreides pried her off as gently as he could, not even scratching the paint job on the Libreia.

"Dilandau!" She shouted. "You'll kill him! Stop!" She called. The Oreides' flamethrowers still powered up. "Dilandau, he's one of your own! This isn't worth it! Stop, Sir!" Gabrielle tried to reason. Hydraulics hissed as the claws retracted. Dilandau let the mechanized arm drop. He didn't say a word, but released him roughly, letting the blue mech drop out of the sky. She prepared for another dive.

.:_"No, Gabrielle. Let him drop."_:. Dilandau said over the radio. "He'll die!" She said worriedly. .:_"That's an order. He deserves to have his mech wrecked."_:. He said haughtily. "Dilandau, that's not fair. What did he do?" She said defensively.

.:_"Please, Gabrielle, it's… Don't question me! 'Because' is all the answer you need." :_:. He growled as his guymelef hovered, and the engines hummed.

.:_"Oh, Gabrielle come on. He fancies you. "_:. Guimel rolled his eyes as he ducked in the sky.

.:_"You want to join him, Sheep Boy?"_:. Dilandau roared back at him, the claws recalibrating for Guimel's guymelef.

.:_"No, sir! Not at all, sir!"_:. Guimel replied.

.:_"Then shut up."_:. Dilandau growled back. He headed back in the direction of the base. Gabrielle blushed and was very silent the rest of the way returning.

She stepped into the docking bay, all her energy spent. Her thoughts returned to her family and friends that were gone forever. She started to hum a tune on the way to her quarters. Once arrived,Gabrielle tapped her finger along to it as she punched in the combination on the lock. The young blonde lay down on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She looked at the desk next to her, and noticed there was a corner of a piece of paper peeking over the edge of the desk that she could see. She pulled it off and opened it. There were actually two pieces, and she read the first one.

_Registered Pilot No. 68372_

_It has come to our attention that you have recently broken curfew rules. It has also come to our attention that you did not know that these rules were in effect. We would like to caution you against breaking curfew hours. As further breakage of this rule will not result in 'correctionals,' however, for your personal safety, we do ask that you do not break curfew rules again._

_Curfew times are between 0100h - 0600h. Thank you._

She made a mental note of the times the curfew ended and began. She folded the sheet up and placed it back on the desk. She flipped open the next.It was only a blank piece of paper. She placed it back on the desk, and she looked around the room. She carefully disrobed down to her underclothes, and then changed those for some clean ones. Putting those on, she slipped into the bed. Gabbi was tired. Sitting up with her elbows on her knees for a moment, the girl cast her gaze down at the folded black shirt with the dolphin silhouette on it. She set the alarm for three hours later.

Dilandau was sitting in his quarters. He was puzzling over the words Gatti and Guimel had said. He eventually walked over to the computer terminal near the corner of his room. He flicked it on.

"Computer. Define the emotion called 'love.'" He asked it in a calm, casual voice.

_ Computing..._ It promptly responded. He could wait. _Processed._ It said finally.

_The emotion called love felt between lovers, in most cases a boy and girl, or man and woman, respectively, can be described in many different contextual ways. Philosophically, simply one example cannot be found. Scientifically, it is classified as a chemical reaction, that occurs when two or more chemicals mix in a certain part of the brain, like all other emotions are theorized to be developed. Biologically, it can be described as thedrive to initiate the process of reproduction. Basically, it can be described as when one feels an intense positive feeling towards another._ The computer explained as Dilandau listened attentively.

"So... How does one find out if one is in love with another?" Dilandau asked the console, as he pu his feet up on an adjacent chair. It computated his question. Dilandau was now sitting right in front of the screen, staring at it as it's words formed on the screen, and as it spoke them.

_Query successfully computed, but there was an error. No information available – None has been documented for this subject._ It said, and Dilandau grew so frustrated with it after re-wording his question near ten times that he drew back his fist and punched in the screen. Sparks flew. Now how was he supposed to find out if he was in love with Gabrielle? He read the computer's printout over and over again. He was going to need a new computer. Again. But, he needed one _now._ He thought rapidly of where there was another computer. Gatti had one. But, he didn't want to be in Gatti's room. He'd probably end up busting his computer, and Gatti needed his computer. His had the most sophisticated technology on it, things that he had made himself.

He pondered for a moment more. He then got up and left his quarters, headed for Gabrielle's. Dilandau then realized he couldn't use hers if she was there. The Oreides. It had a central computer that could be connected to the mother computer, and what was more, he could make the connection scrambled so that nobody save himself could view or intercept what he was doing. He had the authority to do it. So, he changed direction and headed towards the docking bay. Curiosity plagued him. How could Gatti be so sure of such an unstable emotion, rumoured to be the most volatile and fickle thing known to sentient kind?

Struggling through this grey veil of inexperience was frustrating for Dilandau. Gabrielle had complicated him – Made him think when he never used to before. Some part of his mind was ashamed of himself. Disgusted, he felt like a child again. However the simple key was that he _felt_. How intriguing.

Gabrielle was sitting in her quarters. There was a beep on the panel on the wall. Someone was calling her. She pressed the button.

"Gabrielle, here," She said to it. Dr. Jerrick's sharp, crisp voice spoke.

"Good. Gabrielle, come down here. You must test you on your fighting skills outside of a mechanized environment." He said to her.

"That's all, sir?" She asked, nervously. She didn't want any more needles.

"Yes, Gabrielle. That is all. Come immediately." He said, and disconnected the 'Com line. She stood.

She got dressed again, and pressed the door release, locking it behind her, and walking down the hall. She wondered what training she'd have to do. She wasn't looking where she was going, just following the path that Dilandau had shown her to the battle grounds. She bumped into somebody.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm clumsy. Are you alright?" She asked rapidly, and she saw Dilandau looking back at her, calm and collected.

"It's okay." He said. "Where are you going?" He asked.

"I was called down for training or assessment or something." She said.

"Oh, I see. Well, you're going the wrong way. It's in the direction of the docking bay. I'll show you." He said. "Okay thank you." Gabrielle was grateful and followed him.

"What kind of training am I going to do, do you know?" She asked.

"Hand to hand, weapons." He said flatly, looking straight ahead.

"Oh," She said. She got the impression he didn't really want to talk. Either that, or he was thinking of something rather important. They came to a hallway.

"This is where the girls enter." He said absently. She looked at the door. It hadn't been used in a long time.

"Doesn't anybody clean this?" She asked.

"Well, you're the only girl here in years." He shrugged. "No one saw to it to clean something no one used. Best not to keep the Scientists waiting. Good luck, Gabrielle."

She opened the doors to the room, and Dr. Jerrick was standing there, along with several other associates of his.

"Gabrielle, stand outside, in the arena. Your opponent will be with you in a moment." He said, and he pointed to a door. She stepped outside. It was a great outdoor room, and it reminded Gabrielle of a colosseum. The ground was grit and dirt, and the sides of the arena were stone with many seats. Cautiously, the girl walked to the middle, the dust swirling all around from the breeze. She looked up. She watched the sky, feeling the breeze stir her hair. It had been a long time since she'd actually stopped and looked at the sky. She used to do it all the time. Back home...

"Have you chosen her opponent?" Dr. Jerrick asked another scientist, who sat in front of a console.

"Yes." Replied the other, and he reached over and punched in a few programming lines.

"What level?" He asked Dr. Jerrick. The man half smiled, slicking back his hair.

"Full." He said.

"Sir?" The other asked.

"Confirm it. I said 'Full.' What I say is what I mean. Do it." He said.

"Okay." The other passively muttered, and pressed a button.

A door opened all the way across the arena. Gabrielle turned and faced the opening door, drawing her sword. She peered across the long distance to the door, inside the gloom. A figure emerged from inside. It put one foot into the light. She could see the toe of a red boot. She heard the sing of metal being drawn out of a sheath. A low laugh floated across the distance between them.

She was puzzled. The voice was familiar, but the tone of the laugh was not. It was a maniacal, insane laugh, that seemed to come from someone who had completely lost their mind. The figure emerged from the shadows, much to Gabrielle's surprise. Taken aback, the girl straightened from her defensive posture. It was Dilandau. He gave a menacing, dark grin and lunged forward, swinging his sword high up above him as his long strides chewed up the distance between them in a matter of seconds. She blocked his blow, and watched several sparks fly from the clang of the two metal blades. He faked to slash down to her legs, and then thrust upwards, slashing her across the left cheek of her face. The blood dripped down from the left side of her face. It stung.

She was shocked, but continued to block his parries and slashes. Why had her commander struck her, when he had been perfectly amiable moments before? What was wrong with him? He laughed insanely and tried to cut her from the belly all the way up, like a fish getting gutted. She continued to block him. He aimed a punch, and she stopped his fist with the flat of her blade. His blade nicked her on her hand. She leapt back from him, her hand beginning to bleed. He'd cut her left hand, and it was letting red blood leak more than her face.

"Dilandau, why are you hitting me?" She asked him in a frightened voice as she blocked yet another of his slashes.

He did not answer. He cut at her again. As he stepped forward to lunge, sword in hand and braced, he stopped in midair. He hung there, suspended, it seemed, a single frame held by some invisible thread. Nothing on him moved. The image of him flickered, and she moved out of the way. The image restabilized itself, and motion continued. His blade dug into the earth. _This is a computer!_ She realized. _He's an image! He's not alive!_ Gabrielle backed off for one last instant as she calculated what to do. As he rushed at her, she swerved to the side and struck at him from an unexpected angle.

The image of Dilandau faltered. She could almost see the A.I. twitching. Before giving it a time to react, she cut him on either arm, rammed him in the stomach and kicked him between the legs. His eyes crossed and he fell to the ground, hunched over. He lay on the ground for a moment. She had her sword to his neck, pointed in the base of the throat near the collar bone. She stood there for a moment, panting, eyes glazed.

"Okay, that's enough. We see that you could have killed him had the need arisen. Why did you not attack initially?" He asked. Gabrielle looked back at him.

"I didn't know it wasn't real. I didn't want to hurt my commander. His life is more valuable than mine to the Empire. If anyone were to die, it should be me instead, for I am worth nothing." She said flatly, betraying none of the other sneaking, rushing emotions or other reasons she felt.

"It is good you think that way. That's the way we try to get our soldiers to think. Like a machine." Dr. Jerrick said, half to himself. "You may go back to your quarters. I'm satisfied." He said, and showed her the door. "We'll be seeing you soon." He said, belying a dark tone in his voice. She almost shuddered, but caught herself as she left.

While this was all happening, Dilandau was in the Oreides, typing and talking to the computer, which did its best to help him. It came up with something eventually, but it looked foreign to Dilandau. He looked it over. There were plenty of bright columns and the lettering was different colours in parts. At the top of the page, was a small pink logo in cursive on a blue background. The title was supposedly a quiz on how to find if you really liked someone a lot. He began to read the awkwardly phrased questions, wrinkling his brow when he didn't understand the odd syntax. It said it came from someplace called 'London.' Dilandau figured this must be somewhere in Fanelia. That would make up for all the strange abbreviations and language words that he didn't understand. Goddamn that ass-backwards little country.

"Computer, what does 'Gissa snog' mean?" He asked, completely lost.

.:_Term unknown,_:. The computer replied. .:_Perhaps it is some form of expression._:. It suggested, and Dilandau continued to read.

"This is absolutely hopeless. I don't understand this. The language is confusing, and the context is unfamiliar. Why me?" He cried, and the computer, taking this as a question, replied,

.:_Error in query computation.. You are an officer. Maybe this is one of your missions._:.  
"What?" Snapped Dilandau, and the computer repeated itself. He lifted his fist to bash in the monitor and rip out a few cords, when he stopped himself mere inches before the screen.

"Damn. I've already done this today. If I bust this one, it will be a lot more expensive. Damn you. I'll spare you, you piece of crap." He snarled at it, and as he got up to leave, the computer said, as the doors were closing,

.:_Thank you._:. In a flat tone that somehow managed to sound mocking. He made a face and a rude gesture at the machine, and turned and left.

He ran his thoughts over in his head. _I'm just going to have to find out myself. But that's impossible. I don't understand emotions. _He sighed as he walked. Dilandau didn't concentrate on where he was going, and and ended up standing in front of Gabrielle's door. He was wrapped in layers of thoughtas he pressed the button on the door that gave Gabrielle an alert at his prescence. She released the door, and he stepped in. She sat at her desk, busily wrapping her forearm with something. He noticed a few drops of blood on the shining, polished black surface of the desk. The dark red was illuminated by a single, dim light to the side.

"What happened?" He asked, betraying a fraction of the concern that he actually felt.

"Oh, I was hurt in training. I thought it was you, so I only blocked the blows. I missed a few. I eventually noticed that it was only a program, and ... Well let's just say I beat it." She said. He nodded.

"Good job." He said. He noticed the cut on her face. He hadn't seen it before. It was on the opposite side of his scar.

"Let me see the cut on your face." He said.

"... Okay," Gabrielle sighed and she turned the left cheek towards him. He looked at it a bit closer.

"It might leave a very faint scar, but chances are it'll go without a mark." He said.

"That's good." She replied, and her attention wavered to the blood on the desk and on her arm, and the tears in the arms of her uniform.

"Damn, I need to clean this place up. I need to clean _myself_ up." Gabrielle muttered, resting her hands on her hips as she surveyed herself and the room. "I feel bloody filthy. I've only washed in a stream once since I got here, ugh." She grimaced. "Where are the showers?" She piped up.

"Your showers are down the hall to the left. But, they're only two minutes long, and with cold water." He explained grimly.

"What? Two minutes? How am I supposed to clean myself with cold water in two minutes?" She exclaimed. She sighed in defeat. She grasped the towel that had been given to her and started to make her way down the hall.

"Wait," He said just as she was about to turn the corner. He forced himself to speak. "My showers have warm water, and I can use them as much as I want. You could use mine this time." He said.

"You'd let me? Thank you so much!" Gabrielle exclaimed. She grabbed her towel, and doubled back for the housecoat.

"You've got soap and all that junk, right?" She asked him.

"Yeah," He replied.

"Great, let's go." She said, and they walked down the hall towards his quarters. Clutching her towel and housecoat to her chest, Gabrielle looked at Dilandau as he walked. She noted idly the glint of the lights overhead turning their course over his armour. Though polished and undented, she could see faint scratches that had been painted over. He slid his gaze at her over his shoulder.

"What?"

"Nothing."

They went inside the quarters, and he showed her the bathroom, standing there for a moment.

"Well, are you going to watch or what?" She said sarcastically.

"Um, well... I, uh..." He stamered, with lack of a comeback.

"I was sarcastic. Go away." She said with a soft smile, and affectionately touched him on the arm. He turned stiffly and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

"Finally." She sighed to herself quietly. It was the only time she'd been alone since she'd gone out in the mech or was asleep. It was nice to have some time to herself. She disrobed and placed her clothes in a near pile by the outside of the door. She turned the knob for the water and stepped into the shower, adjusting the heat. Dilandau sat on his bed for a moment, his hand on his cheek. After about fifteen minutes, Gabrielle got out of the shower. She set to work drying off and making her hair fall into place, when she realized she'd forgotten the housecoat just outside the bathroom door. Perfect. She couldn't use the towel again, because it was soaking wet and she didn't have another one to dry off with. Great. She realized she'd have to venture outside and get the housecoat. She prayed it was only a foot or so away from the door, but she wasn't quite sure. She thought he'd left, because there was no noise coming from outside the bathroom door. She opened the door about two feet, and looked straight across the wall. There it was, sitting folded up on a chest a few feet across from her. She stuck her upper body out and reached for it, a little bit of the water dripping from her hair making a small _plip, plip, plip_ noise on the linoleum just before the bathroom door. She had just about reached it, when she saw out of the corner of her eye, _Dilandau._

He was staring dumbly at the top half of her that was exposed, the rest hidden behind the door. His eyes were widened just slightly, mouth a little open in surprise.

"Gyah!" She yelped and snapped back into the bathroom faster than a retracting cobra, slamming the door shut behind her. Her heart was beating fast.

"Um," He said. "You wanted your housecoat?" He started. "Should I pass it to you?" He asked.

"Yes, please, just don't look in, okay?" She pleaded.

"Alright." He replied, and he picked up the silvery silk-like housecoat. He opened the door lightly. He swung his head around to look the other way, but by no fault of his own was a mirror placed where he was looking. He caught the reflection of her holding a towel to cover herself only for just a split second. Dilandau squeezed his eyes shut. Another very strange feeling welled up inside him, along with the regular feeling in his chest. This was too strange. It joined and merged with the regular feeling inside his chest, kind of tingly in a weird way. She took the housecoat and he stepped away from the steaming bathroom door's opening. He was breathing a bit quicker than normally.

_Good Gods! What was that all about?_ He thought at himself, flat against the bedroom wall.That ragingly passionate feeling welled up inside him again. He knew that feeling, and knew it well. He leaned his head against the wall with a soft thump. _Why me? Why do I feel this way? Can't somebody tell me?_ He asked himself over and over, but he couldn't come up with an answer. That unfamiliar emotion was a little stronger, swiftly becoming one with the other. He looked at the closed door again. No click of the handle. He wanted to be with her so badly. He stared at the doorknob. Still nothing. He wanted to so badly! He stared at it intensely, and the feeling grew. This whole thing was horrifying. He felt that he slowly losing himself to these rushing, flowing, welling chemicals in his brain. Yet it was oh, so lovely. A drink to be savoured. A drink! Dilandau took himself to the wine rack in the corner of the room, picked up a bottle of wine and read the label. He popped the cork and took out a glass, several of which he kept in a drawer. Poured the dark red liquid into the glass, the young man replaced the bottle on the rack with a sharp 'clink.'. Absent mindedly he ran his finger along the crystal rim, making the glass hum. _Click._

The door opened, and Gabrielle emerged in the silver silky material housecoat, the top tied at a good tightness, but she still smoothed the flap over anyways. Folded neatly over one arm was her towel. She was embarassed, and she didn't want a repeat.

"I'm very sorry about that, I didn't notice you were still here. I'm so embarrassed, and I'm sorry." She apologized.

"Honest mistake," He grunted, shrugging a shoulder.

"Still, I'm sorry for embarassing you. You were blushing." She said flatly.

"Well, I think that was from a different feeling." He said, and hadn't realized the connotations of what he'd said until it was too late. She blushed and looked away, blinking.

"Oh!" She said. He cleared his throat.

"Um. Want some wine?" He asked, offering her a glass without meeting her eyes.

"I don't really drink, but I'll try some." She said politely. He took out another glass and poured some. He passed it to her.

"Thanks." She said as she accepted it from his hands. She took a very small sip, and winced at the sour, bitter taste that filled her mouth. She swallowed heavily.

"You don't like it?" He asked with a tilt of his head.

"I haven't developed a liking for it yet." She said shyly. She hoped she hadn't offended him.

"Acquired taste." He nodded agreeably. "What is it you don't like about it?" He asked, simply out of curiosity.

"I don't find it sweet enough. It's too sour and bitter." She explained.

"There are sweeter varieties. I just don't drink them. Some are too sweet." He said, and shrugged his shoulder.

"I should get going back to my quarters." She said.

"It's getting late, and I don't want to intrude – Thank you so much for use of your shower." She said, bowing her head.

"Not an intrusion at all, Gabrielle." He said. "I am partial to your presence as I have said before."He looked over the glass as he sipped the wine. The dim lighting made a delicate sheen on his silver hair and pale skin.

"Thanks." She said shyly. "Stay as long as you want." He said. "I won't be offended if you want to leave." He added. She smiled softly.

"So... How long are you going to stay for?" He asked.

"I don't know. I can go if you want me to." She said quietly.

"No, I would like for you to stay a while." He blinked, a slow, cool expression assuming his demeanour. "Well,"

"Just a little while. I have to go to the Scientists tomorrow morning for some sort of annual 'checkup' thing. To know someone else who has been through at least some of the same is decidedly a good thing. You tend to make me feel... Different." He said, choosing his words carefully, but still confused at how he phrased it. "What I'm trying to say is…" He trailed off, his mind at a loss for what he was actually trying to say. His magenta eyes flicked to Gabrielle's glass. "More wine?" Dilandau asked, dismissing what had just been said. Gabrielle was silent. She didn't know what to say to this. Dilandau was obviously uncomfortable.

"Please, Dilandau. More wine would be lovely." She said with a polite smile, refolding her hands on her crossed knee. They were relatively silent for the better part of an hour, Gabrielle delicately sipping at her one cupful of the bitter fluid, trying politely to see the good taste in it, and Dilandau polishing off glass after glass. He idly made very unpractised attempts at speech, and the subject eventually wound up back at the subject of the Scientists.

"I know what they're going to do, and having you around for a little while makes me feel better." He said, glancing at the wall. "Perhaps because you have been strapped down to the same table for roughly the same reasons."

"What are they going to do to you?" She asked, concern appearing. He was not used to seeing such an expression made for him.

"Test my limits for pain, mostly. Numb me to it and most else around me. It's difficult to explain, really. They drug me up and I don't know what I do or say at the time, but I remember it later." He explained, and placed the empty wine glass on the little table by the bed. "That is how they knew about you, and your visions. It is my fault you had to go through that," He explained in a monotone. "And I'm sorry."

"Oh, Dilandau... I never knew. I had thought that -"

"I would never betray someone like that." He cut her off. "It was what I was trying to explain before you left…"

"… On my 'escapade,' yeah." Gabrielle smiled a small smile as she looked at the floor, clutching the crystal glass gently in her hands, resting the base on her thigh. "I'm still sorry for that. I've done nothing but cause trouble."

"You've caused many things, but none of them particularly troublesome." Dilandau suddenly found himself otherwise mute. He put one cold hand to his face, and he rested his elbow on his knee. As he looked at her in the silver patterned night coat, gazing softly back at him, the new strange feeling made itself known to him again. He found a want within him to touch her gently and kiss her. He found a want to tell her how he felt. Not a want... A _need_ within him that was growing by the second. He sat cross-legged on the bed, just a few inches from her, who sat on the edge of it in a polite, good-postured position.

One long leg was crossed over the other, and her hands were folded neatly in the long silver sleeves. Only her bare feet were exposed, her hands, and her head and neck, but he could see her shape. The ribbon was tightly secure about her waist, and the long, flowing dress part draped flatteringly over her slim form. Her hair was still slightly wet from the shower, and it hung softly, nicely combed at shoulder length. Her startlingly blue eyes looked out kindly at him. He looked at her sublime hourglass-like shape, and he felt he wanted to feel those curves. He _needed_ to. He swallowed. Had those damned furnace workers turned up the heat in here? It felt warmer than normal... A lot warmer. The heat seemed to wash over him, and he let it.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you're beautiful?" He complimented her in a small voice. She smiled shyly and looked at the floor.

"It's a rare compliment sir, thank you." She said.

"Call me Dilandau. And perhaps you should be told more often, then." She thanked him shyly with a little blush. He absent mindedly picked up the wine glass and made the rim hum again.

"You look tired, Dilandau." She said after a moment, a trifle unsettled by his fixating stare. She shifted her weight, and uncrossed her legs.

"... Dilandau." She said. She received no answer. He seemed to be falling asleep a he sat.

"Dil-an-dau," She said in a sort of low sing-song voice. "Hello." She said. Still no answer. She moved closer to him. "Hey," She said softly, and his gaze clarified and followed hers. "Are you in a trance or something? What's wrong with you?" She asked him.

"Nothing. Tired." He replied decisively, as if very far off and it was hard for him to hear her and reply. He placed one hand on her cheek to gently keep her from pulling away, and kissed her. Such a simple touch, yet an intimate interaction. The cut on Gabrielle's face stung intense and horrible. Yet, when Dilandau had touched it, the pain had dissipated altogether. Once he had brushed her cheek and let go, the pain began to steadily return. She touched it. It had a strange kind of pain, the kind where it is ticklish and feels like it's full of pins. She took her hand away, and there was some blood on the fingertips of her middle and ring finger. The tickly pain receded, and the sharp regular pain returned. The pain on her arm, where she'd also been cut, hurt less. It had stopped bleeding and she'd cleaned it well in the shower.

"You should put a bandage on that. I had a cut like that once. It left _this._" He said disgustedly, as he pointed to the scar on the right side of his face.

"Oh, I don't know... I find it kind of... sexy." Gabrielle said in a soft tone.

"I've always hated it. I treat it like a disfigurement." He said, and touched it.

"Well, don't. Work with it." She said with a smile. "I'll have to get used to mine if it leaves a scar." She said, shrugging a shoulder.

"Well, Dilandau, I'm very tired, and I should go now." She said.

"Oh." He said, his mood falling. He looked so alone that she felt sorry for him.

"Your clothes were laundered." He blinked as he mentioned.

"Thanks, Dilandau." She said.

"Yeah. Well, I guess I'll go to bed, too." He said, covering his emotions with a flat tone. The boy was back to his unsteady nature around her. Dilandau stood up.

"You know where your quarters are now." He said, his voice as flat as ever. "They'll be delivered to your door in the morning so-" He hushed when she hugged him.

"Takeru yume. Oyasuminasai." She said quietly to him in Japanese, his native language. It meant something akin to 'Sweet dreams and goodnight.'

"I didn't know you co-" She kissed him, and he shut his eyes. She separated from him with a touch as light as that of a feather, and turned to the door.

"Goodnight," She said, and left, leaving him standing there with a pile of raging hormones. He stood, rooted in the spot for a moment. Such horrifically wonderful feelings.


	7. Chapter 7

Gabrielle padded down the empty hallways at an unhurried pace. Her feet made a very light slap noise on the cold ground as she moved, uniform in hand. She shivered from the cold and turned a hallway corner. Gabrielle stopped for a second. The heavy silence seemed to weigh down on her, almost like it was a taboo to make the smallest sound. Clicking footsteps were approaching behind her. The girl half turned her head. Someone in a blue and black uniform was walking down the hallway, his head down, muttering to himself. No trouble. She resumed walking, and his head snapped up at the sound of shifting fabric.

"Gabrielle!" The boy behind her said, surprised.

"Yes?" She asked politely, turning to face him.

"Oh, hello, Gatti." She said with a polite smile.

"Hi. Why aren't you in uniform?" He asked, curious.

"I just came back from the showers." She replied. "Now I'm heading back to my quarters." She explained.

"Oh. I'm going to mine, too. I just got back... My mecha got a pretty hard punch in the engines today." He said, embarassed at the memory.

"About what I said, I-" He started, glancing nervously behind him.

"Gatti, it's okay. Dilandau's not around. Why do you bring this up?" She asked in a polite tone, suggesting that he could change the topic easily if he wanted.

"I meant what I said to you." He said, and looked at the floor. A small blush appeared on each other's faces.

"I'm flattered. I really am," She said. He smiled shakily.

"… And I wanted to know if you would come with me to dinner sometime. Away from the group." He continued, barely able to spit it out.

_Uh-oh. What do I do? If I accept, I make him happy, but Dilandau will have poor Gatti's head. If I refuse, I crush this boy's feelings... And I know only too well what that feels like... Think fast, Gabrielle. You've always been quick on your feet..._ She thought rapidly, disguising her mental figuring with a smile and a polite bow as was customary. Gatti stood nervously, fidgeting and awaiting her response.

"Please accept, Gabrielle. I just want to talk to you... And, um, maybe... Go out again... Sometime... Just to talk, you know." He said rapidly, but there was a hint of eager desperation in his voice.

"Okay, Gatti. Just as friends, alright? Call me Gabbi, if you will." The girl replied, twisting a strand of her hair as she spoke, and he nodded happily.

"Okay, great, um… I need to get going... So, I'll see you this morning, and then we can eat together tomorrow evening?" He asked, running a hand through his pale hair, attempting to flatten a stubborn strand.

"Yes. Sounds good, Gatti," Gabrielle said, "I'll look forward to it." She said with a smile, and turned to leave. She went to her quarters and lay down. She worried for the boy. When Dilandau questioned this, because it was only a matter of time before he found out, Gabrielle would back up Gatti. She confirmed this in her head, and rolled over, falling swiftly asleep.

In the morning, they were gathered around a table for breakfast. Gabrielle waited patiently for the slop, tapping her finger against the table. Maybe, if she held her breath and plugged her nose, she could down some of the stuff. The meals were eventually served, and she stared at hers, her nerve lost.

"My Lord, do you think it's possible I could talk to Gabrielle alone this evening?" Gatti asked very quietly. Dilandau's eyes flicked up from the table to burn in his gaze.

"Excuse me?" Dilandau said, standing up. "Repeat yourself. Clarify." He hissed. Gatti repeated himself. "Why?" He spat at Gatti, and Gabrielle stood up, unnoticed by the two of them. She went to stand by them.

"J-just as friends, sir. I asked your permission. I just wanted to talk to her, sir." Gatti asked, and any lesser soul would have cowered. Dilandau seethed with rage at the very suggestion, and he aimed a slap. At that moment, Gabrielle stepped in between them, and she voluntarily received the heavy hit meant for Gatti's apparent transgression.

Her canine tooth cut open part of the inside of her cheek from the impact, and she swallowed some of the metallic, salty blood. The pain from the wound inside her mouth and from the hit washed over her, the sting on her face remaining. Her head had snapped to the left when he'd hit her, and she could tell that the muscle was probably pulled. She let out a very small whimper of discomfort and spat out a mouthful of blood onto the floor. Dilandau was absolutely horrified. He didn't know what to do.

"I hit you." He said dumbly. She put one cold hand to her face that was gently pulsating with the hot aftermath of pain. Her mouth was still bleeding. She swallowed some more blood, but when she couldn't stand the taste anymore, she spat it on the floor.

"It was just as friends, Dilandau, sir. I don't understand why you're acting like this." She said, some of her speech garbled because of the bleeding in her mouth. She stepped back from them.

"Friends." She said, spitting out another mouthful of blood. "I'll be back." She said, and she walked out of the room.

There was a stunned, angry silence amongst all of the Dragonslayers. Dilandau was stupefied at what he'd done. He'd hit her. He hadn't realized she had been there until it was too late. Chesta fumed. He looked Dilandau square in the eye.

"What?" Dilandau practically shrieked at him. He turned to all of them. "It was an accident! I didn't mean to hit her, I-" He stopped talking. They all stared at him darkly. Gatti was the most angry of all.

"She took that for me." He said, amazed.

"But..." Dilandau muttered, calculating. The interjection was almost underneath his breath. He lifted his gaze from the floor, looking quite lost.

"She..." He started to say, and Gatti cut him off.

"Is a beautiful, kind angel, unspoiled and true, and the likes of _you_ don't _deserve_ someone like that! _Ever!_" By the end of his statement, Gatti was near screaming. He was wild eyed, and his face had gone a little extra coloured. Dilandau stood stock still. One tiny muscle that controlled his bottom eyelid twitched, but not from anger. He blinked.

"You're right." Dilandau said, so quietly that it was barely a whispered breath, but they heard him. He looked at the floor to his left, contemplating his path of exit. Their behaviour was not on trial here, they could be dealt with later.

"You're right."He repeated. He turned, his shoulder facing his subordinate. Gatti still stood, still pointing accusingly at Dilandau.

"T-that's right, I'm right!" He stuttered, his pose wilting. As his commander seemed ready to speak, he snapped again.

"You could never understand something like that. She is beautiful, intelligent, and look what she did! She barely knows me, and she protected me. Someone like you could never understand that. Doubtless you are attracted to her, and I do not blame you for that. Every single one of us who sits in this room right now is. But I blame you for _you._ You! I can't even describe it! Simple words don't fill the blank! As I said, and I reiterate, you will never have her, because fate won't allow scum like you to have the privilege of being with such a beauteous creature! You didn't, don't, and never will deserve her." Gatti snarled at Dilandau, cast in shadows.

"And you think that my intention?" With an expression cut from stone, he walked along the wall of the room and ripped open the door. Stepping through it, he vanished, slamming the heavy metal behind him.

"Gatti, was that really necessary?" Chesta asked in a lamb-soft voice. Gatti was shaking still, and he let his tensed body relax.

"I don't know, Chesta. He's going to kill me now." Gatti's gaze fixed on the shadowy exit.

"I doubt it," Sighed Viole. The others looked at him, surprised, as he normally was silent. "He thinks there's something wrong with him. That will be what's on his mind right now, not you or what you said. You guys forget, he's never been through this kind of crap before." The others nodded in slow assent.

"Where do you suppose he's going?" Dalet asked.

"Don't know." Chesta replied, his chin resting on his hand.

Hours later, Dilandau had started to walk down the long dim corridor back to where the Dragonslayers had been eating. He took himself into the room, and glanced around it. Everyone had gone, as he'd known, and there were dark blood spots on the floor.

His gaze followed them out the exit Gabrielle had taken. Every few steps there was a very small spatter of time-darkened red. With every step he took closer to Gabrielle's door, he felt more and more guilty. By the time he'd arrived there, he had an inexplicable lump in his throat. He didn't know what to say to her, but he pressed the entrance request button. After a few seconds, the door hissed and drew up into the ceiling, revealing Gabrielle standing in front of him. The young Dragonslayer had a cloth up to her cheek, which was red with pain. She had stopped the bleeding, but her cheek still hurt.

"It was meant for Gatti, I didn't see you until it was too late... I-" He managed.

"Please, come in." She said in a kind voice. He obliged, and the door closed behind him.

"Are you hurt?" He asked.

"The bleeding's stopped, and my cheek is still hot. But the pain is almost all gone now." She lied. It still hurt a fair amount, but she didn't want to complain. His hard gaze burning into her eyes made her almost want to revoke what she'd said.

"Please, Gabrielle, don't lie to me."

"Well… " Gabbi finally admitted, looking at the floor. The slap had reopened the sword cut, and it stung worse than ones given by paper. It had begun to heal over.

"I'm sorry." He said haltingly, but genuinely. "I was acting... Strange. The thought of you being alone with Gatti just made me so... So..." He searched for the words.

"Protective, angry, and jealous?" She offered.

"Yes." He said. "Exactly."

"I don't see why. But if that's how you feel… It was only as friends. He said he wanted to talk to me." She insisted.

"I know that now," Dilandau shifted his weight, looking very uncomfortable.

"It was supposed to be for Gatti." He said, and apologized again.

"Hey, it's okay. I already accept." Shyly, she touched his armour-clad wrist in signal for him to stop apologizing. "I honestly don't see why you should act so, but if it's how you feel, then you're entitled to that. It's not bad that you feel like that, but if I might make a suggestion…" Gabbi touched her hand to her cheek.

"Yes?"

"You might learn a little… What's the word…"  
"Restraint," Dilandau finished, lowering his eyes.

"Subtlety was more what I was after." Gabbi looked up at him.

"It's okay to feel things, Dilandau. I think because you hold back so much for whatever reason, emotions like anger take you over quickly." She expressed, delicately dancing with words. He studied her hard, and the girl of seventeen shyly looked away. "Please, forgive my boldness. I only say this because I'm a lot like that myself… Except I feel things, but I don't express them very often. A lot of things about me are kept to myself. I'm really quite surprised I'm even talking this much," Gabbi offered a small, shy smile as she folded her hands.

"It seems like a lot of the good things about life are a bit of a stranger to you. I'll admit I know next to nothing about you, but I'm willing to bet you had a hard time growing up. If that's so, we're similar in that respect."

Standing more than a head taller than her, Dilandau digested her words as he looked on. Gabrielle lifted her gaze from the floor to meet his own for a moment.

"Very sorry if I've offended, sir."

"You didn't. Thank you." His reply was curt as it always was. "I need to go sort some things out."

"Of course." She bowed. "Bye for now."

"Mmm," Was his only response as he left.

Gabrielle sat on the edge of the bed and put her head in her hands.

Thus, Dilandau's hunt for his second in command began. Walking the halls like some sort of stalking feline, his efforts were eventually rewarded as the pale blonde boy stood at a terminal, typing. Probably fixing something or other.

"Gatti!" He called to him, and the young man froze. Dilandau continued to walk until he reached him.

"S-sir, if this is about-" He started.

"No. I'm here to tell you I'm letting you go with Gabrielle tonight. But, if you make any moves on her, I swear, I'll throw your flea-bitten carcass off the edge of the Fortress and laugh at you as you fall." He snarled. Gatti shrank away from him.

"Y-yes sir. Acknowledged, sir. Thank you, sir." Gatti said.

"I'm not done yet, you insolent fool. _And,_" Dilandau continued. "You're taking her to Badikara tonight." He added. Gatti blinked.

"_Badikara?_ That's all the way to the far West sector... And it'll eat a pretty nice chunk out of my pay." He mumbled.

"What's that? Do I hear the sounds of complaining? Because if I do, I could change my mind and have you thrown off the edge anyways..." He growled.

"Not a problem…! What am I going to wear?" Gatti asked himself.

"Something that goes well with black and silver. Something... How to put it... _Sharp._" He hissed to the subordinate officer.

"How do you know what she's going to wear, my Lord?" Gatti asked, curious.

"Because I just _know_, that's why. Be at her quarters to pick her up at the hour when the rest of us are eating." Dilandau replied with an air of cockiness.

"Now go. You have to get something to wear. And remember, _one_ move you put on her, and..." Dilandau made a gesture with his hand like a figure falling from a great height. "You'll take some flying lessons." He sneered.

"Yes, sir!" Gatti replied enthusiastically, bowed, and turned and walked down the hall at a quicker pace.

_Since I have nothing to do... I should get Gabrielle's clothes ready._ He thought to himself, and planned to go down to the local seamstress. Dilandau formed and discarded ideas in his mind as he walked to the Railers. Snapped his fingers, a thought came to mind. He paced as he waited for the car to take him. Down in the southernmost part of the massive floating city he went, idly staring out the window. Dilandau was always known to be more than efficient. The commander swiftly bothered about what was to be done with the dress, eventually paying thrice what the thing was worth because he couldn't be bothered to listen to them complain about deadlines. They would have it in that size, done, and that evening.

With that sorted, Dilandau then weaved his way to the Rails again, trains of cars that sped between the different sectors of the city lined up in columns. They rain along rails at the top of the cars, and could travel at impressive speeds. Some of the older models looked about as aerodynamic as a pillow, but even they could go at speeds of around seventy kilometres per hour. He could either use the Rails, or take a very long walk on the streets far below him, in the residential part of the fortress. He chose the Rails, disliking the wait but disliking even more the stares his red armour and rank got. The boy stepped in the first car that was headed to the South. It was a newer model, and this particular was so new that the interior still smelled like it. The car was completely empty, save himself. He chose a seat and let his head rest against the glass of the window, gazing at the outside city, waiting for the slight lurch that would signify the car had begun to move.

The leader was still jealous in a way of Gatti, but he kept in mind what Gabrielle had said to him. He didn't really know why he'd been so infuriated when Gatti had asked to be alone with Gabrielle, but perhaps he was beginning to understand. It had made his blood boil with steaming anger – And such a possessive kind he had never felt before. So why, amidst all this internal terror and confusion was there this pleasant association with it all?

There was a series of almost musical whirrs. Three, each sounding low but going high in frequency, the next note starting lower. The car shuddered slightly as it began to move forwards. He watched the scenery shift slightly, and then faster as the car accelerated. The city was ugly in a beautiful way. Most of the colours were ranging browns and blacks, and a brownish light fog was covered over certain parts. The fog looked like it was poisonous, but it actually wasn't. It didn't smell any different than normal air, and there were no reaction to the people in the fortress to the gas.

The car started to climb, following the rails as they ascended in front of them. A vibration rocked the glass on the windows. Another car screamed past them, heading for the North sector. A 'swoosh' noise announced it's departure as the tail end of the other Railer disappeared. Dilandau's gaze turned back to the glittering lights of the brown city of Zaibach. It would be getting to evening in a matter of hours. He had better hurry. He thought for a moment of all the places in the South that sold jewelery. Zaibach was much more that a gigantic floating military installment. It was a fully functioning city. In time the silver-haired commander remembered the name and whereabouts of a well-respected store.

_It's a pity I'll probably never see her in this outfit. _He thought to himself. _Again, perhapsshe'd go to a dinner with me, even simply out of politeness,_ Dilandau's mind reasoned. _Get a reservation at a ritzy kind of restaurant on the ground..._ He smiled to himself, a lopsided smirk that belied a plotting mind. _Asturia has the best restaurants. Or so I've heard. We're flying over there... When was it? Two weeks ahead? I think so, because we pass Fanelia first._

The car slowed, and it eventually stopped at a platform. The door opened with a rumbling whine, and he stepped out into the South sector.

Dilandau fumbled in his mind about what he should have said to Gabrielle when she'd spoken to him earlier, as he headed for the direction of the store he'd been thinking of. After a good while of walking the nearly empty streets, he finally came upon theplace, near hidden with stone and black grime. He stepped into the store, and the long-eared, shriveled old woman of an indeterminate race at the counter greeted him respectfully. She had a blunt face with a snub muzzle and a flaring nose that was a pale brown in colour. Guessing she must have been one of the enslaved race of forest folk, Dilandau moved on. At her greeting, he halfheartedly nodded as he wandered over to the glass case with all of the necklaces in it. Wordlessly, he selected one, pointing at it through the glass.

"Good choice, sir. It brings luck." The old woman said with a crooked-toothed, yet charming smile as she flicked her bent ears and took it from the case. Her feline-like eyes flashed a milky yellow.

"Especially to the young couple." The jewelry store keeper placed it in a small velvet lined box. Dilandau gave her a nod, taking a strange liking to this old woman as he looked almost lazily at the rest of the things. Most were beautiful, but not beautiful enough.

Two bracelets caught his eye. Dilandau selected them after admiring earrings for a moment. The old one bustled at the counter took them out and placed them in a separate box. He assured himself that those were good. He had to get going back if he was going to pick up the dress and deliver it in time. "Those will do." He said. "How much?"

"These ones are quite pricy, young sir. If you wish, we have ones that are not so pure of metal and stone," The forest folk elder said with a concerned and reasonable tone. "They are forty thousand credits, altogether." Most people would cringe at that cost, but Dilandau could make more than that in the space of time it took someone to breathe.

"Fair enough." He said, and withdrew a small card. He placed it on the counter. The elder took it with clawed hands and scanned the card, then passed it back. Dilandau put it back away. He took the two velvet boxes, thanked the creature at the counter, and left, headed away. He still had two other stops to make.

Gabrielle lay in her quarters, fresh as she could be from a short cold shower. She was only supposed to be alotted three minutes, but she had been allowed six for some reason... Some reason being the repeated abuse with large blunt objects the timer machine. The ridiculously cold water took some getting used to, but after a spluttering, gasping moment it was alright. She was reading a book, absorbed in it. It was about the culture of the Melchian people, who lived high up in the mountains, above the mist. In their own tongue, Melchia meant 'Wolves of the mist.' The book said they were covered in fur, wore clothes somewhat like humans, and their faces were almost just like that of wolves. Their stature was typically long and lanky, and their eyes were human-like. Unfortunately, a majority of the Melchian people had been hunted down and destroyed by superstitious townsfolk that lived across from the mountains. They had recently been accepted as a sentient race. They'd been given rights the same as humans, and their population was growing.

She was reading about the Melchian language and writing system when there was a buzz from the door. Her eyes flicked up from the book, which she placed a bookmark in, and she went to answer the door. There was nobody there, but a small box with a note. She picked it up and examined the box, trying to read the writing on it, but it was in a foreign language she did not understand. The note read,

_Wear this tonight. Gatti will be here to pick you up at the dinner hour. Sorry I didn't stay and talk, but I had to go. I'll see you tomorrow._

She stepped back into her quarters and shut the door. She opened the box. At first she only saw two velvet lined boxes on something. She picked up the smaller of the two boxes and opened it.

They were a pair of silver bracelets. They were in the form of two dragons, their wings outspread and joining. Their heads were turned to the side, and their eyes were of jet. In each of their jaws, they held small white jewels that shone with bands of bright pearl when exposed to light. She gently closed the lid. Where had he gotten all this? She picked up the next box and opened it. It was a collar-like silver necklace, from which a very short chain dangled. Upon the end was another dragon, curled protectively around a gleaming red stone. Gabrielle closed her eyes in amazement. Why had this been done for her? There was something else inside the box. Lifting it up, she saw it was a gorgeous dress, made of a silky, crisp black. It was strapless and came with a long piece of velvet that looped through the corset-like back and were meant to rest draped from her arms in trailing ribbons.

There was also gloves that came up to her elbows. Along the forearm was stitched a silver dragon, slender and elegantly curling. There was with a tube of deep red lipstick, and knee-length black boots that laced up. The legs of the boots fit very nicely to her calves. Gratefully and near breathlessly putting these on, Gabrielle then sat like a proper lady on the chair beside the desk and waited, politely reading her book.

Gatti was nervous. He had to walk by the place where the rest of the Dragonslayers ate, and he'd have to face theirs, and Dilandau's, criticism. He blinked his blue eyes as he gathered the courage to walk across the room and out the other side, in the direction of her quarters. He sighed and stepped out into the room, walking across.

"Looking sharp, Gatti!" Called Migel.

"Yeah, it looks good," Chesta seconded. Guimel nodded, and Dalet smiled. Viole merely winked. Dilandau was silent, and as expressive as stone. The leader in red sat with his hands folded on the table, looking across at Gatti. Chesta turned and looked.

"Well, my Lord, what is your judgement?" He looked up warily at Chesta.

"Hurry up." He grunted, and then continued at being unexpressive and silent.

"Okay, I'll be back in a while, guys." Gatti said.

"Later, Gatti." All of them said at once, all except Dilandau.

Gatti left the room, and headed down the hall. When he reached room 237, he pressed the button. After a few seconds, the door drew up, revealing her standing there. He merely blinked.

"I must say, you look wonderful." Hey, it was lame, but his blood wasn't all in his head at the time. Gabrielle was shy.

"Thanks! … Um, where are we going? Why do I have to be dressed like this?" She asked very quietly, looking like a fantastically elegant bird afraid of its plumage.

"We're going to the West sector, about forty minutes away. We have to take a Railer. There's a place there that I'm taking you to. Come on. The table's reserved and if we're not there in time, they'll give the table away." Gatti explained. Gabrielle stepped out of her quarters, sealing the door behind her. They walked together to the Rails.

"Gatti, what are these things you call '_Rails_?'" She asked him. "They're a form of transport system. They're long strings of cars suspended by metal rails that span the distance from sector to sector. We call the cars Railers. The actual system is just called the 'Rails.'" He said as they stepped onto the platform. "Badikara has it's own Railer car. It should be here any minute." He added. With impeccable timing, the vehicle was seen on the horizon.

"Well, here's the car." He said as a fancy looking box screeched to a stop in front of them, the brakes at the top making a little shower of sparks.

"Is it … safe?" She asked as she looked at it. "Oh, yeah. Hasn't been an accident on one of these things in years. Some say it's safer than walking, where there's the danger of getting mugged."

They stepped inside and chose seats. The car was very nicely designed, with red seats and real gold designs on the interior walls. She got the window seat. Gabrielle gazed out at the metropolis splayed out before her. There was a series of humming noises as the engines started, and the car lurched slightly. It began to slide forwards on the rails. The painted vehicle swiftly accelerated to a very high speed, moving so smoothly that it felt as if they were barely moving at all.

"So... How many languages can you speak?" Gatti asked, to make some conversation.

"Four." She replied. "Which? You speak ancient languages?" He asked, very interested.

"Well, I speak English, of course, and French, Norwegian, and I'm learning Japanese." She said. "Norwegian? I've never heard of it. I do know that Japanese is the second language here, all over the world. Though I've never heard of somewhere called Japan. Well, except for in myths and legends about the Mystic Moon."

"I came from there. It's actually called 'Earth.'" She said.

"Are you okay?" He asked her. "There's only one other that I know of who supposedly came from there... Her name is Hitomi. She's with that cursed White Dragon. From what I hear, she's pretty strange…" He scoffed at the thought of the enemy. Gabrielle merely tilted her head. What had this White Dragon done to awaken such rage?

Back at the base, the Dragonslayers were all very quiet during dinner. Nobody really spoke any words other than "Please pass the water." They ate quietly, and even Dilandau only picked at his food. His thoughts, as they often were as of late, dwelled on the newcomer Gabrielle. It seemed every time he shut his eyes, there she was. He couldn't get her out of his head, and he didn't really feel he wanted to, either.

"Lord Dilandau," Chesta began. "is Gabrielle coming with us on the mission tomorrow?"

"I don't want her to particularly, but she has to. All of us have to go." He said in a hollow tone.

"What do we have to do this time?" Chesta wondered aloud.

"We're going straight into Fanelia. Wipe out anything and everything we can." Dilandau told him.

"Oh." Said Migel. "And how are you going to tell Gabrielle that?" He asked.

"Very carefully." Dilandau replied, and the others took it as a joke. "I'm serious, you fools." All of them ceased laughing. He sighed.

"She doesn't like it when we kill innocent people. I never used to care... But now, I'm not so sure anymore." He said, and the table grew even quieter.

"So... My Lord? Do you feel for her, or something?" Migel asked inquisitively and rather casually.

"I don't know! I've never felt like this." He snapped, while looking straight across the table at the wall with unseeing eyes, a troubled and irritated expression making itself known.

"Well, do you always want to be around her?" Migel asked.

"… Yes. What purpose does this interrogation serve, Private Migel?" Dilandau snarled, defensive.

"You feel kind of... 'Giddy' when you are?" Migel insistently questioned.

"Of course not," He answered with an air of dispondence.

"Well, then _you_ describe it, my Lord." Migel said. Dilandau cleared his throat.

"I've had enough of your questions." He said with a flick of his eyes.

"Well, it looks like Lord Dilandau actually has feelings about girls that the rest of us boys have." Migel said, faking surprise as he leaned back in his chair. "So, how far have you gotten?"

"Migel, don't think I won't break that jaw again." Dilandau menaced, his fist hitting the table. "Don't speak that way again."

"Okay, okay... You're right, it was not my place." The private apologized profusely.

"You know, you should take her to dinner sometime and tell her how you feel," Guimel piped up, who had previously been silent, just listening. "I'll bet she'd like that." He added, and turned back to his bowl of food, half-finished. "What?" He asked innocently when he realized all the stares. "It's only a suggestion." He said, shrugging a shoulder.

In the West, Gatti and Gabrielle got off the car and headed towards the restaurant. It was a massive building, elegantly structured. It had arches and curves, and the architectury was obviously done by a master. They walked in, and the person at the door showed them their table after Gatti had confirmed who he was. A band was playing soft music from near the front of the lobby, and there were many people there, all as well dressed as Gabrielle and Gatti. She found that while all the women's dresses were vastly different, a lot of the men's clothing were very similar. The men were dressed in mainly blues and blacks, like the uniforms. These clothing were lacking the armoured plates and guards, but in their place were ornate designs. They were high collared, like the uniforms, and close fitting to the upper body. The pants that they wore were neat, and looser than the shirts. She noticed that all of the people in the restaurant were young, the oldest looking was probably in his late twenties. They were seated at a table on the top floor, which had a clear ceiling. A crystal chandelier hung from the middle of the roof, casting a pleasant glow on the glinting ground. The waiter said he'd be back in a few minutes to take their orders.

"Gatti, why are we here?" She asked politely.

"Well, before Dilandau nearly bit my head off, I wanted to court you. Well, in fact, I still do... Even more so now, but Dilandau said that if I made any kind of move on you, he'd have me thrown off the edge of the fortress. I know for a fact he's not bluffing, because a year or so ago he had it done to somebody. It wasn't a pretty picture." He said.

"He actually had that done?" She asked.

"Yes. Sometimes, we think he's insane... You should see how he gets when he razes things to the ground. He's… indescribable, but we're all faithful to him in the end. He's got a good side about him, somewhere... Dilandau's also never really displayed any kind of emotion other than extreme anger. You seem to have brought out something good in him." Gatti said.

"Um, thank you. I really don't know much about him, though. He's so distant… It's hard to even get on a personal level at all, let alone…" Gabbi looked to the scenery as she spoke.

"Let alone…?"

"Well, let alone anything else, I mean. He certainly doesn't make it easy. He makes what could be considered an advance, but then…Acts like it never happened. I don't know."

"Do you like him or something?" Gatti asked, tilting his head.

Gabrielle smiled in amusement. "It's been a long time since I've heard someone use the word 'like' in that context. I'm not really sure what to feel, honestly. Yes, and I'm somewhat afraid to. You say he's had people thrown off walls and razed towns… This scares me, but at the same time there's a softer side of him that's not really been seen yet. There's a lot of good in him, I know that." Gabrielle watched stars glitter overhead, in strange constellations that made no sense to her.

"And that's why I write poetry about you." He said with a soft smile.

"Pardon?" She asked.

"You're kind, and such." He said.

"I'm flattered." She said, and she truly was so.

The waiter came back and handed them two menus. She looked it over. It was written in strange characters that she didn't recognize. She'd never seen them before. _They look kind of like ancient Runes,_ She thought to herself. She looked at Gatti, who was reading it at a fast speed, occasionally pausing.

"Gatti, I can't read this." She said softly.

"Oh? Sorry." He said, and he pulled it flat so he could read it upside-down and tell her what the things were. He read and translated.

"Okay, there's salads, and fish, birds, ... Blah, blah, ... You wouldn't like that... Got loads of alcohol... Hmmm..." He was busy reading when she spotted a picture.

"Pizza!" She exclaimed.

"Pizza? Yeah, it's a delicacy." He explained.

"Really? Where I come from, you can get pizza just about anywhere." Gabrielle blinked, amazed.

"How much is it?" She asked.

"Doesn't matter. Get what you want," Gatti replied swiftly.

"Well, I guess I'll get pizza then." She said.

"Right then." He replied.

Most of the Dragonslayers had left the table, except Dilandau, who was still poking at the food, Migel, and Chesta. Migel sat avidly chewing on a wood toothpick, and Chesta was clearing the dishes.

"Can I take the glass, Lord Dilandau?" Chesta sked politely. Dilandau snapped out of his train of thought. "What?" He asked.

"I asked if I could take your glass for you, my Lord." Chesta said.

"Oh. Mmm. Thanks." Dilandau said, and resumed thinking. Chesta and Migel looked at each other.

_"Dilandau said 'thank you!'"_ Chesta mouthed to Migel.

_"I know. He's been acting polite. I like it."_ Replied Migel.

_"Same."_ Chesta said as he took away another plate.

"I'm going to go consult the the Oreides about something." Dilandau muttered absently. Migel smiled with an air of knowing mischieviousness.

"You mean, you're going to go ask the _Libreia_ what Gabrielle thinks about you. It'll answer to the best of it's ability because it's her 'melef. You know that as well as we do, my Lord." Migel laughed.

Dilandau shot him a venomous glare. "Yes sir. Sorry sir, I'll be quiet now." Migel bowed his head deeply, not rising even when Dilandau had his back turned.He half turned, and Dilandau squinted at him suspiciously.

"Migel... You're in charge. I'll be back in a while." He said carefully, and turned back away and walked down the hall. Chesta and Migel shared a smile after he was gone.

"I just hope he finds the answer he's looking for." Chesta added wistfully, and then stepped in the kitchen to wash the dishes he'd just collected.

The commander moved with catlike agility and silence along the rows upon rows of guymelefs, until he came to the lineup that was the Dragonslayers'. The Libreia sat in stasus, charging from the power supply it was connected to. Its yellow eyes were sealed shut with a camera's spiral shutter. Dilandau stepped up directly in front of the gigantic evening orange dragon, poised in front of the thing's pointed nose. He touched the tip of it's beak-like upper jaw.

"Libreia," He said to it. The thing didn't move, but he thought he heard a click somewhere deep within the mechanical beast. "Libreia?" It still didn't move. "I know you can hear me." He uttered darkly. Unnoticed to the armour-clad officer, one of the camera-shutter eyelids twisted and opened slightly.

"You're bonded with her, as the Oreides is to me. You and the Oreides always know what Gabrielle and I think, what we know, everything. That's partly why we can control you so well. You know that."

.:_What is it your query, Commander Dilandau:._ The Libreia's sudden voice startled Dilandau.

"Good, you _were_ listening," He said.

.:_I am always listening._:. It replied, and Dilandau got the strange feeling that 'it' was, and should be called, a 'she.'

"I want to know what she thinks of me." He narrowed his eyes as he spoke in a hushed voice.

.:_I should not tell you. That is personal, unrelated information. Why don't you simply ask her yourself?_:. The dragon replied with a question, its digits whining as it readjusted itself to the most efficient angle of balance. It was stupid to argue with a guymelef, Dilandau knew. Especially a bonded one. They were not like regular machines – They were sentient when spoken to, and could be quite volatile.

"Because I do not know how." He admitted stubbornly.

.:_You are fluent in English. You asked me the same thing._:.

"I know that, it's just it's more complicated than that. I could never expect you to understand..." He grunted irritably.

.:_Oh, but I do. You see, I am her, and she is me. It is a wonderful poetic concept. I know exactly what you mean. She still is unaware that I am connected with her. Therefore, any information I give you would be completely unbeknownst to her... But, I should not. It is against regulations._:. The Orange End model dictated.

"Please, Libreia. I order you. You may not be an official soldier… But you are a tool of one in my squadron." Diladnau was involuntarily leaning slightly harder on the dragon as he attempted to get to eye level. The Libreia moved her head down and glared him in the eye with her clear, orb-shaped bright eyes. The way the light played in them reminded Dilandau of how Gabrielle's eyes had sparkled when she watched the fire... The Libreia was silent for a moment, seemingly studying him.

.:_I will not dignify that ignorant comment with a response otherwise, Commander Dilandau_.:. The guymelef arced its neck, her triangular beak opening absently as a mechanical trill whirred from inside her. She seemed so alive.

.:_Gabrielle thinks you are confusing. She feels for you, however, she is somewhat intimidated by you, and she doesn't know how to act. She is hesitant and afraid to express herself to you, so she holds back for fear of rejection. She often thinks of you, even though she is afraid._:. Her explanatory voice rang clear, and Dilandau listened attentively.

"Afraid? Afraid of what?" He asked finally.

.:_As I said. Rejection. You kissed her, and yet she seems to feel you have distanced yourself from her after that. She feels lost and completely alone. All her friends she used to know are gone, and she knows she'll never see them again. She never says anything because she doesn't want to cause a problem to other people. She had a lover where she came from, and is slowly getting over this loss whilst at the same time feeling betrayal by feeling the way she does about you._:.

Dilandau looked down at the floor. _Goddammit. What do I do?_ He snarled to himself.

.:_Will this information suffice?_:. The Libreia asked.

"One more thing. How does Gabrielle feel about ... Gatti?" He asked, trying to mask his feelings.

.:_She finds Private Gatti respectful, charming, attractive, and easy to talk to. She is speaking to him currently. She is flattered by him. However, she is holding back from him._ The Libreia explained. Dilandau glowered. The Libreia had used none of those words in her description of Gabrielle's feelings for him, but he felt a glimmer of hope at the last sentence.

"Why?" He asked.

.:_You._:. The Libreia said, as if she were speaking to an incredibly thick child. .:_She doesn't want to attract Gatti, because she doesn't want the boyi to do anything that would make you hurt him._:. She said.

"Oh." Dilandau further glowered. This was not the answer he was looking for. "So... She likes Gatti more than me?" He asked, half to himself.

.:_I was not finished... She values Gatti as a friend for now, and nothing more nor less. May I add a suggestion?_:. She asked, and didn't give him time to answer, just in case he refused. .:_Tell her how you feel. Do something nice for her._:. The Libreia said plainly. .:_Before you regret your silence. She desperately needs someone to be close to, and I can tell by your irregular body posture and the dents you seem to be trying to make in my nose that this is important to you. She needs to hear it, and you need to tell her. I can also tell by your level of adrenaline and endorphins present in your blood that you may in fact care for her more than you know yourself._:. She squawked, and he could have sworn that Libreia had smiled. But that was impossible. Her mouth was just hinged metal...

"Do I love her?" He asked, looking the Libreia deep in her shining eyes. With a slight mechanical whine, she brought a single claw forward.

.:_I cannot tell you that. You will know here._:. She said, and the claw stopped with computerized accuracy at the exact point that his heart was beating inside his chest. .

:_Or so they say._:. She said.

"Libreia!" Dilandau shouted angrily, desperately. "Tell me what is going on inside my head! What are all these swimming feelings? What are these dizzying things happening to me that have never happened before? What is it all?" He huffily ranted, not really expecting to get an answer.

.:_You will know in time, Commander. That is all I am really at liberty and knowledge to say. I cannot tell you what goes on in your head – You yourself speak in defense of that point many a time! Nobody can describe love fully or any other emotion with precision, as you have read. That is why there are no files stored on the mother computer. To many theories, too many philosophies. You will just know. However I can relate to you on one aspect,_:. She continued.

.:_Emotion is a stranger to me. I am a computer. The emotive responses I give are from the blood of Gabrielle that flows within me, giving me some semblance of intelligence when it comes to these things. I am unsure of how to categorize and file away these emotions myself, Commander. They are new, and strange, and unfathomable.You and I are both aliens to this world of natural chemical and exotic reasoning.:._ The robotic creature towered above him, glinting metal so deceptively still, hiding the power inside.

"Exotic. That's a polite way of putting it," He growled. Words failed him.

.: Illogical, _then…_ _They are done eating. They will be back in approximately two hours, if my estimates are correct. Now, if you'll excuse me, I would like to get back to listening to her music. I rather like it._

Dilandau merely grunted in response.

.:_Tell her of your confusion and your happy, sorrowful, joyous, painful emotion._.:. The dragon had hit the nail on the head more accurately than Dilandau would have liked. He left.

As the boy of high rank walked absently through the halls, wondering where to go, he reviewed what Gabrielle's guymelef had said to him. He remembered every word. It pained him, no, irritated him that she was out having a pleasant time with his second in command. It made him want to wring Gatti's neck for being so … normal? Dilandau hadn't a clue at the reason for the rage. He just didn't know how he was supposed to tell her how he felt, when he couldn't find the words to describe it to himself. The commander wandered aimlessly for two hours, completely forgetting about everything, favouring mindless droning instead. He walked out on a bridge that was exposed to the direct outside. It joined two complexes together in open air. He stood in the middle and watched the clouds below him twist and turn endlessly as they went by. They looked like a massive sea, white and blue with touched silver moonlight. The breeze changed direction and headed for him, stirring his hair and making his cloak gently flare and flap behind him. Dilandau watched the clouds and listened to the wind whisper for a moment more, trying to decypher what it was saying, but in vain. He slowly made his way back to where he'd come from, heading towards his quarters. Hearing a very soft noise, he ceased movement and halted his breath. He headed for the noise, pausing every so often to hear for it. It was very late at night, so the long corridors were practically silent, with the occasional far-off echo. He heard the soft noise again, and it seemed fairly close by. There was the sound of the opening of a door, and the hissing as it shut. It then occurred to him that he was near quarters. There were footsteps coming in his direction.

There was a small hallway next to him that harboured a computer terminal; He could duck in there unnoticed and let the person pass. He did so silently, and pretended to be typing on the computer, lest they see him. He waited there for only a few moments until the footsteps grew slightly louder, announcing the presence. He turned his head just in time to see Gabrielle walk past, changed into a newly washed uniform. _Where could she be going?_ He wondered. The young man cautiously stepped away from the computer terminal and back out into the hall. He began to follow her, quietly as he could. He'd catch up eventually, no need to make is own presence announced. She stopped and listened. She shook her head to herself and continued walking. Gabrielle walked down the curved stone walls, lit by torches placed every few metres, casting blue streaks on the leather and metal that adorned her. She eventually came to the door that led outside to the bridge. She opened the door and shut it gently behind her.

He weighed his options. He could go immediately after her, but then she would know she'd been followed. But what if she was going to jump off the bridge? She wouldn't do that. Would she? She hadn't seemed mentally stable. But then, was he? Who could call someone else crazy if they themselves were? Dilandau could wait for a moment and then go outside... That would be better. Then she wouldn't think she'd been followed. Then again, she wasn't stupid. She could more than likely put two and two together and figure out he'd tried to dupe her by waiting... So then he should go right now. But... How would he explain that he'd followed her? He didn't quite know himself. _Then tell her that, quit with your stalling._ Snapped a harsh voice in his head. Dilandau took himself down the last section of the hall to the doors, not being one to argue with his conscience often.

Gabrielle was standing in the middle of the bridge, exactly like he had done earlier, staring at the endless expanse of clouds and sky. The wind whipped her hair behind her, and she had her head at such an angle from him that she didn't notice him opening the door. The wind snatched any words or sounds away from her and onto the breeze. The girl sighed and faced straight ahead, her eyes closed. He cleared his throat. She spun around to face him, surprised at the sudden sound. Gabrielle recognized him, and her guard relaxed.

"What are you doing out here?" She asked him in a surprised, broken voice. The cold was beginning to get to her.

"Watching you." He replied, his arms crossed.

"Why? Why are you watching me?" She asked, sounding rather afraid, or sad, or something. He was never one for identifying those sorts of things. It was all the same.

"Well... Because I noticed something was wrong. You look sad lately. Did something go wrong with Gatti?" He asked, and involuntarily his right hand formed into a fist at the thought of him.

"No, I-" She shivered. "I just miss home, that's all." She coughed.

"Why don't you tell people?" He asked.

"There's nobody _to_ tell," Gabbi looked up at him with a wry grin.

"There's me."

"You don't want to hear it. I don't want to be a problem." She insisted, and her gaze turned back to the swirling vortex of clouds beneath them, nature's ever changing painting.

"Well, you're not a problem. Come inside, you're cold."He said.  
"I like it out here," She replied, but she could not hide her shiver. He stood beside her.

"Inside." He said as he took her hand very gently to lead her back to the door. She looked down at her hand. It looked so small compared to his. Her hands, in reality, were actually quite large for a girls', but they seemed almost dwarfed.

"Big hands... Kind of run in my family." He said. Not that he really remembered much else about his family. Her hand was spread against his, and she noticed that his were about two digits bigger than hers. He folded his fingers down inbetween her own and stepped back towards the door, pulling her in with him. Her hair settled back into place with the sudden absence of the breeze. She looked up into his eyes, with such a look of distance.

"Please don't be, however you are. Like that. Upset." He said, almost like it was an order. Her gaze slid away.

"Why?" She asked innocently.

"Because it makes me so." He explained.

"I'm sorry." She shyly said to him as Gabrielle observed her hand in his.

"We have a mission to go on tomorrow morning," He cleared his throat and released her hand from his grip. "We have to get up very early. You should get to sleep now." He said.

"Yeah." She nodded. She smiled politely, but it wasn't anything true. Even Dilandau could see that. She gently turned from him and began to walk to her room, her hand gently rising to hold her shoulder. It made her look very small.

The girl who had swum with dreams of dolphins had begun to turn the curved halls. He steeled himself and caught up to her.

"I want to stay with you." He said. "To take you to your room."

"Okay. You can stay for a bit if you want." Gabrielle shrugged and said.


	8. Chapter 8

The girl swept a straight lock of dark blonde hair behind her ear as her fingers danced across the numberpad. With a hydraulic sound, the door hissed and retracted. Gabrielle welcomed Dilandau in, following close after to seal the door. Heading straight for the foot of the bed, she promptly let herself fall onto it, closing her eyes for a moment.

"Forgive my casualty," She sighed, and turned herself over to look at her commander. Dilandau lifted one shoulder slightly in a gesture of it not mattering. Whilst laying on her side, Gabrielle took off her boots, placing them neatly at the side of the bed. She curled herself into a half ball. "Please, have a seat wherever you like… Well, I guess there's not much else but the bed to sit on," She gave a small grin and shifted herself to the side to give him ample room.

Gabrielle yawned, swallowing back the bitter taste of tiredness.

"What's the mission tomorrow?" She asked, to make conversation.

"We're to go into Fanelia." He replied curtly.

"Oh." Gabrielle smiled sleepily, a soft, distant expression. "Where's that?" She asked. He flicked on the desk light and shut off the main one for her, observing her gentility.

"It's a large country mainly surrounded by forest. Land wandering dragons abound in that part of the world. Ruffian country if you ask me. Lots of Energists about there though, with all the dragons." He explained.

"What's an Energist?"

"An Energist is a type of crystal. Dragons have a natural type of them in the centre of their bodies for hearts. We use them to power mecha suits. We can also mine Energists, too. The most powerful Energists come from Dragons. Both the Libreia and Oreides have dragon Energists, interestingly enough."

"Uh-huh." She agreed, blinking slowly. Dilandau observed her falling asleep. This brang to him a very hazy, warm feeling that made all his nerves relax. He leaned his elbows on his knees as he sat on the foot of the bed, head turned to watch as she curled up tighter. For the first time, he didn't question the feeling, but instead let it happen. It was a feeling of safety, despite the wars that raged all around and against them.

Gabrielle shifted her weight, watching and listening to him in the dim glow of the desk light.

"What did you have for dinner tonight?" He asked. It took her a moment to answer.

"Pizza. Apparently it's a delicacy. That's very strange." She said softly.

"You falling asleep...?" He asked with a barely detectable smirk.

"No, I'm listening. I'm just tired." She insisted, and propped her upper body with her elbows. Her posture was quite pleasing to the eyes. The young commander was silent for a moment. He looked at her soft expression of calm happiness.

"I see you crying sometimes." He looked at the floor.

"Oh? … I'm sorry, if I do, I do it when, well… When I think nobody's watching."

"I was wondering why you cry."

Gabrielle sat up, swinging her feet over the edge of the bed, sitting a few inches from him.

"For everyone I'll never see again. It's quite obvious I'm never going home – I came here flailing in a beam of light. If that's not a freak occurrence I don't know what is, and the chance of it happening again is absolutely ridiculous. It just can't happen… I have a hard time comprehending how I even got here in the first place. Whenever I think of home and all those things and people I'll never see again, it hurts.

'Let's face it, one of these days I'm going to die. I'm going to die on a completely different world than where I was born, away from everything I've ever known. It's depressing and stupid, and childish, I know. But I miss everyone. I want to go home and step in my room, and look at the paintings on the wall. I want to smell the ferns and the flowers I have in the corner of the room, I want to look in the mirror and see the very first rose I ever got from someone, hanging dried against the glass. I want to go to school even if it's just to skip classes. I want to see my cat curled up and asleep on the blanket I've had since I was a week old."

Gabrielle had put her head in her hands, trying her hardest to keep her voice from breaking. Dilandau peered at her, lowering his head to try and get at eye level. Her hands were covering her eyes. The pleasant soft emotion he'd felt earlier was replaced by something cutting and lonely. Her sorrow seemed to pierce him. Reaching to his shoulder, Dilandau removed the large red spiked shoulder guards and put them on the floor by her shoes. Hesitantly, he put his arm on her back.

"I'm so scared of this place. I don't know what I'm doing here, what this world is. I guess I'm just scared of everything. I'm a soldier in some army when a week or something ago I was a final-year student working for minimum wage in a coffee shop who wanted to produce animated films. This is just so _fucked_ up!" She spilled out her troubles further. In response Dilandau put his arm further around her. What else could he do?

_What's coffee? And animated films?_

Absently, Dilandau touched his gloved fingers to her hair, feeling the back of her neck. This feeling called for him to be tender towards her, something he'd never before done. Gabrielle was crying now, leaning a little to his side. He barely heard her. Dilandau was immersed in the mists of thought, trying to understand her.

"It will be alright, one way or another," He spoke. "Memories are something that never leave you."

It was curious, but he found he didn't mind her tight cling at all. Echoing flashbacks of himself as a child plagued his mind, but Dilandau shook them off. They were always nondescript and fleeting – However, waves of emotion always accompanied them. It struck him that he sympathized with her aching feelings of loss and confusion. He lifted her chin to study her expression. Gabrielle gave slight resistance, but eventually found herself looking up.

His was the look of a man behind the bars of his own mind. Blinking to clear his mind of the swirling thoughts, he brushed her cheek to rid it of the tears before he settled back with his arms balanced on his knees.

"Thank you… For that…" Gabrielle looked to the ground, away from him. "Thanks for listening to me. And… Thanks for finding me in the forest. And bringing me here. I'd be dead if it weren't for you."

Gabrielle was then silent for a long while, leaning against Dilandau's shoulder. He moved slightly, and her weight bobbed loosely. She murmured in her sleep. Surprisingly delicately, Dilandau laid Gabrielle's limp body down on her side.

Hours later, Gabrielle opened one eye slowly. She became suddenly aware of the warm presence next to her. Snapping open her other eye, the girl held her breath, her body tense. She could hear the other's breathing. Was anyone in her quarters last night?

_Dilandau was... Didn't he leave?_ All too aware of the pressure of a body next to her, she turned her head a little to see.

… _Apparently not!_ Dilandau shifted in his sleep, and she heard him mutter something as he resettled again.

Gabbi squirmed a little bit, feeling very awkward. The sleeping young man adjusted to her movement. Unconsciously, he lifted his arm and placed his hand spread on her flat stomach. He nestled up to her for warmth, his forehead touching her temple. She lay like that for a moment. Butterflies flitted about in Gabbi's stomach… But hadn't he said they had to go on a mission? She gently tried to separate from him, but he made a little noise of disapproval and pulled her back close.

"Dilandau," She called softly. No answer, just a tighter grip. "Wake up." She said. She turned to face him. His eyes were closed, his expression soft and peaceful. He was lost somewhere in a dream far away. Gabrielle had never seen him like that before. Gabbi managed to prop herself up on her elbows. The girl smiled and shook her head as she watched him. Maybe she wasn't so alone after all.

She poked him. He reached out and caught her arm before he knew what he was doing, flipping Gabrielle neatly beneath him, pinning down her shoulders, snapping his legs down over her middle. Dilandau suddenly recognized her and paused, his sentient mind rising out of the murky, translucent depths of sleep. She blinked, looking up at him. Dilandau was ontop of her, near nose-to-nose, his body tense and pressed close. He suddenly realized himself and the posture. Dilandau scrambled off of her, suppressing his wings, which wanted to burst out of his back. He cleared his throat as he assumed a collected pose.

"It comes from being in the military. Someone pokes you in your sleep, and, defense, you understand." He said, looking at the ceiling and smoothing back his hair, the rush of colour fading fast. However, the sudden hormonal rush wasn't. He opened his mouth to speak, and then a voice over the intercom rang out.

"Gabrielle, report to the Dragonslayer's meeting room for a breifing." Chesta's voice said. "Oh, and if you happen to see Dilandau, could you tell him to come too? We can't find him. Over and out." He said, and the intercom link terminated with a pop and a click. She looked at Dilandau, sitting across from her, fidgeting. She smiled softly as she stood off of the bed and went to comb her hair.

"You're cute when you sleep," Gabrielle said over her shoulder at him, picking up the comb and smoothing out her somewhat straight hair, which really didn't look too bad, even after sleep. The blush returned slightly to his face.

"You… Look good too, Gabrielle." He cleared his throat again as he replied. Gabbi turned to face him for a second before turning back to the mirror.

"Thanks." She said with a small smile. She then picked up her cloak and put it on, slipping on her boots as well. She went into the small bathroom she had, which contained little more than a sink and a toilet. Gabbi fixed herself up and came out.

"I talked to the Libreia last night." He said.

"You did?" She asked.

"I thought I should let you know. The blood bond in you creates a telepathic link between you. You should work on using that." Dilandau explained.

"How do you know that?" She asked, curious.

"Only certain guymelefs bond with given blood."

"I see… And what did you talk to her about?" Gabrielle asked.

"It doesn't matter. I just thought I should let you know." He grunted nonchalantly, and put on his boots. "We should go." He said, and put on his armguards as well. Vainly, Dilandau checked his hair in the mirror. "I just have to stop at my quarters first, so you go ahead and tell them I'm coming. If they ask why, just tell them some reason or other." He said, and she smiled.

"Will do." She replied. She stepped out the door, and headed for the rest of the Dragonslayers. Whilst was walking down the hall, Gabbi wondered why Dilandau hadn't just left when she'd fallen asleep. She remembered the warm feeling of him close next to her, and a little flutter in her stomach accompanied the memory. The thought of his taut body atop hers, pinning her body beneath him didn't help her focus on the task at hand… However Gabrielle eventually made it to the stone room used by the DragonSlayers. She opened the door. They all stood in a line and saluted her smartly.

"Oh, sorry. It's just me," She remarked quietly. "Um, okay... I'll just go in line..."

Gabrielle coughed and took place in line beside Gatti. Chesta spoke,

"Where's Dilandau? Did you see him?" He asked.

"Yeah, I saw him. I told him. He said he'll be here in a minute. He had to stop at his quarters first." She explained.

"Did he tell you why?" Chesta asked. "He said you'd ask. He also said that if you did, he'd have your guts ripped out and fed to the Fanelian land-dragons below us." She said with a grin. Chesta lifted an eyebrow.

"Sounds like him." Eventually, they heard Dilandau's footsteps approaching and they all stood with a salute.

He opened the door wide in an impressive entrance.

"All right, everyone. Let's get down to business. Anyone steps a toe out of line, and I cut it off. Clear?" He barked, and they all nodded vigorously. "We are to fly into Fanelia. Destroy anything worth destroying on the way to the royal city. Don't harm any natural resources if you can help it. Once again, this is supposed to act as a lure. Any further details will be presented to you on the radio. Go!" He commanded. "And don't forget to turn your invisibility cloaks on!" He growled as they left, and they were gone, sprinting towards the docking bays. Looking ahead at Gabrielle as she ran, he hoped she'd take this better than the last.

Gabrielle opened the doors and flipped skillfully into the pilot's seat.

"Libreia, invisibility cloak activate." She commanded, and the Libreia responded.

.:_Acknowledged._:. The systems hummed to life. The orange dragon shivered as it broke the docking seal and heaved up onto the main level of the floor towards the open sky. The flame-coloured guymelef spread its wings, and as soon as it was in stable flight, it turned near invisible. The light rays curved over the metal, concealing it from view to the glancing eye. They flew in formation, and all were silent, remembering what Gabrielle had said before. They were reaching the borders of Fanelia and preparing to descend when Gabrielle alerted to something on one of the monitor screens.

"Wait, I see something." She announced.

.:_"What's there, pilot?"_:. Dilandau chimed in.

"I'm going to go in." She said. "There's only enough time and space for one to go. Just circle and listen for me. Any objections first?" She said boldly, and all listened for Dilandau's reply.

.:_"Affirmative."_:. He said coolly.

She swung away smoothly from the formation, honing in on the image she saw. Dragon shaped. And the colour appeared to be white as the snow tops. It was sitting in stasus posture, she knew it because the Libreia adopted the same stance when it was recharging.

"Guys, it's the Dragon!" She said into the radio.

Gabrielle landed the Libreia as close to the White Dragon as possible, while still maintaining the element of surprise. She exited her 'melef silently, drawing her sword and rounding the copse of trees to get to the opposition. The female soldier catfooted softly on the earth, making hardly a sound. She knew the others were landing nearby.

Gabrielle held the sword at the ready, stopping often to hear the slightest of sounds. The slender girl in blue armour was almost up to the mech. She heard a noise behind her and whipped around. Nothing. She backed up slightly, and then there was the unique sound of something moving through the air. She turned her head upwards to see what it was, but it hit her square in the back. The impact sent her to the ground, her sword bouncing off the soft earth to land point up a few feet away. It was the pilot of the white guymelef! He'd seen her! Gabbi scrambled desperately to get to her sword, but she heard the sound of his blade cutting through the air to impale her. Rolled onto her back, she avoided the vicious stab just in time. He drove the sword into the earth.

"Dammit!" He cursed, and she flipped back into a crouching position. Their gazes met. Her sharp blue eyes burned with a frightened fury into his reddish brown ones, belying only a warm calm.

He was tall, wearing a red lace up shirt with khaki pants, and he had scruffy black hair. Some of his hair hung over one eye.

"Dilandau!" She cried out. The pilot reached out to silence her. "Dilandau!" She yelled again. "I'm defenseless! Help me! Over here!" She yelled, keeping a frightened eye on the taller boy as she backed off. She heard them coming in her direction. She screamed as the strange pilot got his hands around her throat.

Gabrielle smacked her aggressor heavily in the face and attempted to scuttle towards her sword, but he caught her belt and pulled her back. He brutally smashed her on the back of her head. Gabbi slammed to the earth under the blow, but stood up groggily, still attempting to defend herself. She shook her head to clear it and was promptly hit again, the impact sending her to her knees. He took his sword and smacked her with the flat of his blade, and finally the girl whimpered and fell to the side unconscious. The strangely clad pilot gathered her up in his arms and dashed towards the dragon. He knew that the other members of her squadron were fast approaching with Dilandau in the lead. Wrenching the grips on the dragon to his level, he dashed up the side and to the reins.He twisted his head and saw Dilandau running through the long grass, his sword withdrawn and hurtling at top speed toward him. Dilandau reached the mechanical beast just in time to slash at the lifting chest. The sword created a shower of sparks as the metal cut into metal. A reverberating high pitched 'tang' echoed through the chilled air. The ancient dragon shivered to life and effortlessly swatted Dilandau away like an annoying insect. He skidded across the ground, a dust cloud billowing in his path. He cursed the pilot, running forward as the guymelef spread its valiant wings and took to flight. Dilandau was rushing up to it when both Migel and Chesta grabbed their commander, holding him back. He tried to shake them off but found he couldn't remove both of them. He dug his heels into the ground and tried to pull forward, but they pulled him back.

"Forgive us, my Lord, but the dragon will crush you if you run!" Chesta yelled over the noise of the pounding wings as the dragon lifted. Dilandau stopped struggling hesitantly. He relaxed himself, and gently pulled his arms from their restraint.

Migel sighed heavily, watching the creature of metal fly.

"What do we do now, my Lord?" He asked.

"Burn everything," He snarled darkly. He watched with those magenta-coloured eyes of his the dragon disappear over the mountain, and he felt his sanity go with it, fleeing from him on swift white wings with purple membranes. A very familiar laugh bubbled from within him as he more than gleefully ran to his landed Oreides. In return for the Dragon taking Gabrielle, he'd take from the Dragon. Fanelia had to die. It had to writhe in flames for its crimes, arson set by none other than himself.

"New mission, boys. Mission perogative: Kill everything that is within Fanelian borders. Guimel, 'Com the base and report Gabrielle has been captured. I will not rest until sh's back here." He commanded. _Safe, at least._

All the others returned to their guymelefs, ready for Dilandau's dispersion orders.

.:_"Time to fucking die, you inbred, under-educated country! Die for your precious boy king!":. _His voice was little more than a hoarse, maniacal shriek. The tone he cried out in made all of the hairs on the backs of their necks stand up. He meant business. Dilandau raised an arm of the Oreides to the sky. He aimed a liquid metal claw at an airship overhead and fired. The claw shot up hundreds of feet into the air, piercing the blimp-like structure of the ship, causing it to burst into flames and fall as the gas within acted as an accelerant and was consumed by the hungry fire. He laughed as if this was hysterically, riotously funny.

.:_"Gatti, head in the north and destroy everything that bears the Fanelia name. Anything foreign from Fanelia, leave untouched to the best of your ability. Dalet, go east. Guimel, take the south, and Migel, you take to the west. Chesta and I will go in the direction the Dragon has taken."_:. He announced, and he shot up into the air inside the mecha, aiming for the peak of the mountain that he had last seen the White Dragon. Everything beyond that point was going to die.

The soldiers split into their assigned directions, and they began immediately exacting their commander's bloodthirsty quest for vengeance. Soon they were all out of sight, and Dilandau could already see the smoke in the distance of a newly attacked town. The commander grinned in sadistic pleasure before moving forwards in dogged persuit of the Dragon. His sensors told him a town was just over that ridge. Perfect. The first onlookers in the doomed town saw a red shape burst over the top of the mountain, spraying snow everywhere. They cried out that the some ancient god had descended upon them to end the world.

.:_"Your town is only the first of many!"_:. He cried. Pandemonium immediately began. Dilandau took no notice of their pain, only a hunger to numb his own and the rage that could not be quelled within him. He turned violently in the machine, smashing a succession of five buildings and setting fire to more. He felt no wrong intent while doing this, only a need to stop feeling pain by causing so much more than he had himself.

The distraught pilot kicked in some more buildings in his fury, and then left the town, searching for more things to destroy. He set forests ablaze, and laughed as they burned. The vicious militia commander continued to track the White Dragon, destroying anything and everything that moved in his path. It seemed that all he could see was an image of that hateful boy with his dirty hands on Gabrielle, taking her from him. His vision seemed red with a jealous rage, and he destroyed town after town, taking pleasure in the havoc he wreaked. He remained on the Dragon's path, killing and burning until the flame in his suit could burst forth no more.

He stood amongst a smouldering flatlands, everything around him gone. Leveled. He stopped everything and stood silent amongst the seemingly valley of death.

.:_"We have done enough, Chesta."_:. He sighed at last, his voice hoarse. His face was flushed, and his voice further broken. .:_"We will develop a plan to get her back. I will not cease trying until she'sback safe. … I can't have one of my own in his clutches."_:. He muttered, on the verge of breaking for this new emotion, regret. Gabrielle wouldn't have liked what he'd done to all these innocent people, and in her honour. She would have looked down upon it. Chesta made sure that the base wasn't monitoring their radio lines.

"I'm behind you all the way, Lord Dilandau." He said encouragingly.

.:_"What have I done?"_:. He asked himself as he surveyed the wreckage.

"Your orders, sir." Chesta replied grimly with an innocent undertone.

Gabrielle awoke sharply in the cockpit. The boy was flying above, and she was contained in the chest of the dragon.

"Computer, where are you taking me?" She asked it. It did not reply. She cursed and looked through the bars at the outside. It was thousands of feet below. She swallowed. The boy could simply command the cage doors to open, and then she would fall to her death.

As she looked at the calm countryside beneath her, she began to feel afraid. "Computer, is there anything you can tell me about anything? Where we're going or who you are?" She asked boldly.

.:_I am sorry. You are a hostage. That is all._:. The computer said in a masculine voice.

"Hah! Nobody will pay for my return! You might as well drop me right out of the sky here. I am worth nothing, dead or alive." She spat.

.:_As you wish._:. The computer said, and the doors opened in front of her. She screamed as she fell through the clouds, the fear ripping through her like a rabid animal. The ground seemed to reach up for her, and then-

"Ah!" She cried out. Her body jerked, and she pitched forward. She was not in the cockpit. She was on the _outside of the Dragon._ The boy was controlling it. She had been lashed down crudely onto the dragon's back by the saddle apparatus. She was facing up into the sky. It was now night. The stars above her glittered in the deep black of the night. Her planet, the 'Mystic Moon,' was out of her vision. She could not see it. She had been ripped away from what she'd just grown to know.

_What is to become of me now?_ She wondered tearfully. _I am going to die, more than likely. The squad won't follow me forever, and since the White Dragon is as good at evading them as he is, they'll never catch me._ She gazed at the stars. _Dilandau will even give up on me. As will Gatti, my only friend here. Chesta, Guimel, Dalet... They'll all turn away from me. The most painful being Dilandau will. I was just beginning to... It doesn't matter anymore. None of it does. All hope is lost. I'll die here, a prisoner of a war that isn't my own, on a planet that isn't even my own. So far away from home... _All her bravado was gone. Gabrielle knew she had to pull herself out of this despair.

"I see you're awake." Said the pilot, gently steering the dragon through the air. She said nothing, cold as stone. "Sorry about the hit on the head. My name's Vaughn. What's yours?" He asked, turning his head to look. Her gaze could have turned hot glowing lava to a frozen river of ice in a matter of seconds. "Phinny…" She replied. Her name from home. Gabbi stared at the sky.

"So, you're the one who pilots the Red Dragon," He said casually. She was silent.

"Yes." She replied finally.

"Heard you came from the Mystic Moon." He said. "Did you?" He looked her square in the eye. She gave him a look that belied her fear.

"You did..." He said to himself, struck with awe. "Angels seem to be raining down this year." He said, and she only looked away from him, her cheek touching the cold metal of the dragon's back.

"It's not long until we get to the place." He said, and she didn't care. She longed for Dilandau, and it surprised her that she did. She hadn't been sure if he had really liked her, or if he had only been with her because he was lonely. He was strong... And such a commander... She hadn't realized she'd shared such an affection for him. Not until now. Now, when she longed to be in his arms for comfort. She closed her eyes and prayed that she'd wake up, and she'd be in her quarters again. She was frightened of this 'Vaughn' character. He seemed familiar, like Dilandau had when she'd first come to this world. She was so cold on the dragon's back. She couldn't move, and the metal she was tied to chilled her clean through to the bones.

After a few hours of flying, Vaughn eventually brought the dragon into descent. The dragon flared it's wings as it landed, and Gabbi was rudely awakened. She hadn't thought she'd fallen asleep… The girl tried to tune out the speech, but she couldn't. Vaughn was talking to somebody named 'Allen,' and Allen was talking to Vaughn about what had happened. Vaughn explained that he had a hostage, and Gabrielle practically hissed. How dare they select her as a hostage!

"Well, well. What have we here?" Asked a tall man with long, blonde hair. He stepped over her, on the dragons back, and peered at her. She said nothing.

"She says her name is 'Phinny.'" Vaughn explained as he untied some of the ropes beneath her.

"And so it should be! Dolphins are lovely creatures, it reflects you well." Allen exclaimed, and Gabrielle just looked away from them.

"Ban-Sama!" A high pitched, very annoying voice called. It almost made Gabrielle's hair stand on end. "Ban-Sama!" The thing called again, and she felt the knot loosen underneath her. Allen offered her a hand. She neglected it, standing on her own instead. Allen smiled a half smile.

"Feisty. I like that." He said, and it made her stomach crawl. He was very handsome indeed, but he was much older than her! She was only seventeen, and yet this man appeared to be twenty-eight or so. She slid off the dragon and stood alone, completely silent.

Then, she was poked.

"Ban-Sama! You have one of those scary soldiers here!" A thing said. She said nothing, just stared blankly ahead. It poked her again. "It's a girl!" It exclaimed. "She's weird!" It said. Gabrielle said nothing, but she could feel the rage inside. She glanced at the thing.

It was about five feet, two inches tall. It had pink hair, and a humanoid face. The eyes were green, and the flesh was very tan. It appeared to be covered in fur. It also appeared to be female. There were spiky stripes on her face, arms, and legs. She was in an orange shapeless dress that had leopard spots on the bottom right corner of it. She had poofs of white... fur? On her shoulders, wrists and ankles. She wore sandals. She also had a long, striped tail with another white tuft of fur at the end. Her ears were long and pointed, and they constantly moved, just like a cat's, though this... girl's ears were situated on the side of her head, not on the top where a normal cat's ears would be. She poked Gabrielle again.

"Merle, stop poking the girl. She might hurt you." Vaughn said.

"I don't think so. She's dead in the head!" 'Merle' laughed.

"Wanna _bet?_" Gabrielle snarled, and Merle backed off, frightened.

"Ban-Sama! The soldier person girl thing! She scared me!" She said, hiding behind Allen, but poking her head out to look more at this curious oddity, being Gabrielle.

"Vaughn, where do you plan on keeping the girl on my ship? All the rooms are taken." Allen said, looking at Gabrielle. She looked away, but secretly made a face of disgust. The man was trying to be charming! "Sickbay." Vaughn replied, inspecting the slash mark Dilandau's sword had made.

"No, there's already two people there." Allen replied seriously.

_Oh, _please_ don't tell me I have to sleep in the same room as this Allen man. By the looks of it, I'm going to have to beat him off with a stick. If I have to get stuck in the same room as any of these, I hope I get stuck with Vaughn. He won't do anything. Not Merle. She's creepy and childish, and I'd probably have a hole in my back by morning from where she'd be poking me all night._ She thought avidly. She began inspecting the ship around her for weaknesses.

It was an airship, and she couldn't see exactly how it operated yet, but she saw the massive fishtail-like rudder fin that helped steer the ship in the air. It seemed to be primarily made of wood and metal. There were guards posted, however, so she couldn't get out of here without making a _lot_ of noise. Unless... She could manage to sneak by the guards... But that was nearly impossible.

She had long since filtered out the speech going on about her, even managed to filter out Merle's voice. So, she was surprised when she was tapped on the shoulder.

"Phin," Said Vaughn. She snapped her head around. "... You can be stuck in the brig, or sleep in either mine or Allen's room. He is a Knight of Asturia, so don't try anything. I'm the King of Fanelia, and I know how to use a sword. If you don't want to stay there, then as I said before, you can stay in the jail." He said, but he couldn't help looking at her when he said this. All of her. He did it casually, so she didn't notice. She happened to be nice looking girl. From her nature so far she seemed to be so in personality, too. Such a shame.

"Well?" Asked Allen, and Gabrielle walked to stand behind Vaughn in a quiet formal pose. She had an expressionless face that she'd learned to emulate well from Dilandau. But, behind the lack of expression, there was a quick and sharp mind, calculating the best escape routes and how she could pull it off with the least amount of hassle. She did not give this away by showing quick movements of her eyes as she studied the ship. She barely moved them, pretending instead to occasionally focus on one of the faces staring at her, when in reality she was looking at the background.

"Don't even think about escaping. You'll remain right here. Allen will extract information from you tomorrow, so I suggest you just relax." Vaughn said flatly. Merle made a face at Gabrielle. She blinked sadly and looked the other way. Merle stopped making the face.

Vaughn began to walk into the cabin section, and she followed him, aware that the cat-girl was also following, trying and failing miserably to be stealthy. Vaughn opened a door, and he stood back for her to enter first. Gabbi paused cautiously, and looked at him with a flicker of suspicion. She looked inside the room. It was completely normal, so she stepped inside. He entered after. She walked to the corner of the room and sat down on the hardwood floor, facing the wall. She leaned her head on the wall and sighed, closing her eyes. She heard Vaughn walk over and sit on the bed, and she could feel his subdued curious eyes on her.

"So. You really do come from the Mystic Moon." He said. She looked over slightly to the side, tilting her head slightly to show that she was listening. "I can tell that you've _been_ there, at least. But there's something about you that makes me think you were born here. That doesn't make sense, does it?" He asked. She didn't answer, only shifted her weight slightly so that she didn't get pins and needles in her leg.

"You might as well just tell us everything you know about the inner workings of Zaibach." He sighed, and in her mind she laughed bitterly. _Why?_ She thought. "Allen knows more about torture than anyone. He can inflict more pain on you than you could ever imagine." He continued.

_God, what a tired old cliché._ She responded in her mind.

"Then, when he's done with you, I'll leave you to him." He said.

_In what context does he mean by that?_ She wondered disgustedly. At first she'd thought this Vaughn character to be reasonable.

"First, if you don't answer by mere suggestion, we starve you of food and water. Then, we will cut you slowly. If that doesn't work, we resort to heavier means of torture. We could cut off your achilles tendon and watch you flop around like a fish." He suggested. She was just as silent as ever.

_I won't tell anything. I won't disappoint Dilandau. I won't betray him._ She thought, determined.

"We have so many ways we can break you." He continued.

_Does he ever shut up about how much he's going to hurt me? I don't care._

"Oh, come on. You must understand at least _some_ of our language." He said, and she wanted to kill him.

"I understand absolutely crystalline what you are saying. It takes more than threats to break me. You won't get a word out of me. I am one of the Dragonslayers, my codename is Phinny, for the dolphins of the sea. You can torture me as much as you want. I will not speak. In fact, I challenge you to try, you barbarian. Dilandau will come for me." She growled at him, and resumed her silence. _I hope._


	9. Chapter 9

Dilandau paced back and forth back at the base. There was a knock at the door, and the impatient commander picked up one of the four empty wine bottles. Even the swilling red liquid couldn't numb his pain. He flipped the bottle over and over, end over tip with one hand as he stood still.

"Come in," He snapped.

Chesta softly stepped in, bowing deeply.

"What?" Dilandau screeched. The anger was practically consuming him. He felt like acid was swirling inside him, eating him up.

"S-sir. We cannot t-track the White Dragon, S-sir. No news of her." He stammered.

"You think I don't know that already? God _dammit!_ Leave me alone! I know I can't track the dragon until we get new sightings! Speaking of sightings, get out of mine! Now!" Dilandau bellowed, and hurled the wine bottle straight at Chesta. Chesta shut the door just as the bottle smashed into pieces.

He was sleepless with some sick emotion, twisting like a vile beast in the core of his stomach. What had those barbarians done to her? That filthy Fanelian… He thought over and over how he would kill that pilot. Slice off the boy's wings, run him through with the sword. Perhaps he'd rip out his heart so fast that Vaughn's body wouldn't realize it was dead, and make him watch it beat its last few times before he died. Dilandau then thought of slicing,tearing those angelic wings from the boy king's back. His thoughts got progressively bloodthirstier as his mind deteriorated to blind rage.

Dilandau sat in his tall commander's chair, hands gripping the armrests and he promptly hated the boy some more. He then began to hate the fact he'd never told Gabrielle how he felt... Hated the fact he had so many chances but had never been able to put them into words. He knew it now. This horrific and terrifying and yet seductively, tantalizingly wondrous feeling plagued him. It seemed it was biting at his brain and yet stroking his cheek at the same time. He wanted so much to abandon it, to forget these feelings and wake up into his numb self again. And yet…

Her absence sickened and enraged him. It brought fear from the depths of his gut to the surface of his mind for her. She was more than just a soldier lost in the field, she was _Gabrielle._The fact that her presence was gone hurt him. He couldn't just go down to her quarters and see her there, drawing, perhaps singing. He worried about where she was, and what they were going to do to her. They'd kill her, wouldn't they? Or torture her? He stubbornly wanted her here, safe. Dilandau felt so hideous, more alone and dead to everyone than ever before. He could almost hear her laughing, or singing, or talking with a cheerful tone. He could just about feel her there with him, her soft touch and her wavy hair. He opened his eyes, and she was standing there. Alas, but with a blink and closer inspection, the image was but air.

Vaughn had long ago left the room, and Gabbi had just about fallen sleep. The girl was sitting cross-legged with her head leaning against the wall. Laying at that stage where she was not dreaming, but could see images flitting about on the backs of her eyelids, she startled as she was poked. Flustered, she looked about in all directions, whipping her head about. The girl found her vision obscured suddenly by a blurry pink and brown mass.

"Did I scare you, lady? You look sad, lady." Crooned a childish, high pitched voice. Indeed, Gabrielle did look sad. She could not deny that. "Why don't you talk, lady? You can talk to me, lady. I won't say anything to those naughty boys outside!" Merle said and giggled. Gabrielle smiled very softly as she rubbed at her eyes to quell the throbbing pain behind them. Perhaps she could make a friend with this cat-girl.

"Ban-Sama still has your sword," Merle said. "Ban-Sama isn't married." She said irrelevantly, her gaze wandering as she tilted her head rhythmically to some silent beat. Merle's mind tended to wander often to different subjects. "Allen says that you're pretty. He says that 'No doubtedly, that squadron leader will come after her, Vaughn. You have to keep her under special watch.' I listen to them, lady." She said, and when she imitated the tall blonde warrior, she lowered her voice and puffed out her chest, trying to act like the man. Gabrielle couldn't help but smile. Her thoughts turned back to the fact that she was scared and alone, and her smile vanished. "You should smile, lady." Merle said.

Merle sat back and cocked her head to one side.

"You sleep here tonight, lady?" She asked.

"Please, my name is Phin, if you've gotta call me anything. And yes, I am sleeping here for as long as I'm useful to Vaughn. Then I suppose he'll dispose of me." She said hollowly.

"That's not your real name. I can tell." Merle said with childish reason. "Onamae wa nan desu ka?" She asked in rapid Japanese. Gabrielle looked up and met her gaze.

"Don't tell them my real name, okay?" She asked the cat-girl.

"I promise," She said. "My name is Gabrielle." She said. Merle studied her for a few moments.

"I like you." The creature grinned as she tilted her head, decidedly affirming herself. Merle got up. "Byebye. I'll talk to you later." She twittered, and left, closing the door.

Merle scampered out into the night on the ship, when she almost skipped along right into Allen. He looked down at the little pink-haired cat-girl.

"What did she say, Merle?" He asked from his tall height, his long, straight, shining blonde hair falling about his shoulders almost like a river of gold.

"Nothing. She didn't talk to me." She lied with a straight face, her sharp green cat-like eyes burning into his starkly blue ones. Allen knelt down and took one of the little girl's hands.

"Merle, you know I don't like it when you lie." He said. Merle scoffed at him.

"Why would I lie to you? She didn't say anything. I think I'll go stick some venom in your food!" She crowed, her nose upturned to him. Allen smiled and shook his head and walked off, his back turned to Merle, who was making faces at him as he strode towards the door in which Gabrielle was contained.

She had curled up against the wall and was silent, her mind as black and empty as the dark expanse of night all around the ship. Allen walked in, and she didn't even seem to notice, although she was completely aware of his presence. The Asturian knight sat down at the desk in Vaughn's room, locking his gaze onto her as she stared blankly at the floorboards.

"Speak. What is your name? Where were you going with the rest of your squad in Fanelian territory?" Allen asked in a commanding voice. Gabrielle stayed just as silent as a softly coloured stone sitting on a table. Allen waited a moment. "Answer me!" He commanded, and she still said nothing. "You are unwise to refuse to talk." He said, and leaned back in the chair. While still staring at the floor, her words formulated slowly in her mouth as she spoke them.

"I take commands only from my squadron leader. I am not about to answer you," Gabrielle coldly let the words flow. If looks could kill, he would have fallen over dead.

"Not exactly the most reasonable of types, are we?" he asked.

"I don't know about you, but I know I'm not." She spat, and returned to staring at the wall.

"You enjoy your sleep while you can. I'll be back here in the morning." He assured her coldly. "I hate to inflict pain upon such a beauteous creature such as yourself, but, if I must..." He said, and stood up.

"No-one will come for me, and I know next to nothing. You're wasting your time." Gabrielle snapped sharply, staring at him. He walked out of the room.

She leaned against the wall and prayed that the rest of the Dragonslayers and Dilandau would try to get her out of here. She eventually drifted off into that state where sounds seem unusually loud and images play about on the backs of eyelids, but are not dreams. One image seemed to continually return to Gabrielle. It was one of Dilandau, of course. He was holding his sword and he had his beautiful ebony wings spread, the light playing about on the black feathers, making some look blue. He would smile warmly at her and offer his hand. She longed to take his hand and disappear with him, but she felt as if she couldn't move. Of course, it was only because he really wasn't there, and she was really asleep.

A long while after the captured soldier had fallen sound asleep, her body slumped gently against the wall, curled in the corner. Vaughn opened the door into the room. He ran a gloved hand through his spiky black hair and sighed. He felt sorry for this girl for some reason. Perhaps it was just that; Phin, she was a pretty girl. _Hitomi should meet this girl. _He thought. Hitomi could tell about this girl using her tarot cards. Vaughn looked at the girl to make sure she slept, and then sighed, lying on the cot that served as a bed. He gazed at her curiously as the candlelight flickered. She twitched gently in her sleep, a slow expression of fear taking over her features, but she stayed asleep. He watched her with half-closed eyes for a while. She began to cry in her sleep. She murmered a word in her sleep, but didn't wake. She said the word again. He couldn't make it out clearly, though. She eventually fell silent again, and Vaughn drifted off to sleep.

Dilandau could not keep his eyes closed. He stared blankly at the wall. The boy tried to sleep, but he was so internally awake that he seemed to have a continual flow of adrenaline in his system. That was the way it always used to be, except usually sleep came, if desired... He had just not been used to this insane feeling of strength and the will to kill ever since she had been here. He'd been worrying about Gabrielle ever since she'd been gone. Worry. It left a bitter taste in his mouth that made him want to spit.

He eventually got up from his chair and walked out of the hallway, searching for a way to vent his frustration and anxiety. He trailed down a long hallway, hating the night outside. The commander wanted to get out of here, go track her before her trail went cold. The images of that cursed White Dragon flying away from him made him angry. The Libreia, standing motionless, empty. The Libreia. It had to be carried back by the Dragonslayers. He remembered vaguely giving the order to the others. If he could talk to the Libreia, perhaps would know where Gabrielle was. On fleet, silent feet, Dilandau took himself to the hangar. The boy silently walked into the almost painfully silent room full of mechas, and went on searching in the dark. He came across his squad's row and scanned the stationary guymelefs, searching eagerly for the distinctive orange paint.

Dilandau came across _her._ She was in stasus, charging as usual. He touched her pointed beak-like nose. Her heat sensors indicated something was there, and eye shutters swiveled as they opened in a circular manner. The yellow filament brightened and focused forward on him. They eyes glowed their beautiful fire's tip colour as the systems came online. She was just like a human waking up from sleep.

.:_Yes, Commander Dilandau?_:. The female voice pattern slid forth, her voice lowered to adjust to the quietness around them.

"Libreia, I need to know whether you are capable of tracking Gabrielle." He muttered hurriedly, the voice near lost on his breath.

.:_Clarify,_.:. She asked flatly.

"Location. I need to know where she is, and if she's still alive." He snapped irritably. The Libreia raised her head slightly, ignoring his insolence. It was forgiven, if recognized.

.:_She is alive. She is asleep right now._:. The Libreia was silent for a moment, and her yellow eyes dimmed slightly with the effort. .:_She cries out for you in her dreams._:. She said finally, completing her neural scan on Gabrielle, and her eyes returned to their normal brightness. .:_I can track her. Why did you not come to me earlier, Sir?_:. She asked. Her emote chip commanded her to reason.

"Didn't think of it. Where is she, Libreia?" He asked, almost begging.

.:_One moment, please. Tracking in progress..._:. And the dragon of metal was silent. Dilandau waited, still touching the tip of the Libreia's sharp beak. .:_She is on an airship, model number Z-128, Asturian in origin. She is in the cabins on the second level, sleeping in the top right corner of room 24. Ship is anchored. Co-ordinates sector 130, division 10. Stationary on a mountain peak._:. She said. Dilandau calculated where that was.

"Gods, that's far..." He muttered to himself.

.: _Yes it is. _:.. The Libreia responded, unaware the statement was not directed at anything in particular.

"Did they hurt her?" He asked.

.:_No._:. Libreia responded. .:_She is having a nightmare._:. The Libreia slid flatly. Her voice didn't seem to emanate or be put forth. It seemed to slide, to fade in and out of existence. It made his brain feel odd.

"Can you tell what she is dreaming about?" He asked for curiosity's sake. What couldn't this colossal thing do? How had technology come this far and he not been aware of it?

.:_Not in detail. Just that she was having a nightmare._:. The voice responded, a slight air of tin and falseness to the sound.

Dilandau hissed under his breath and impatiently, turning on a foot.

"I have to get her back, now. She poses too much of a risk for exposure as a captive. She's not been trained to lie… She'll give away far too much information!"

.:_ Query: Is there more to that statement than you have said? _:.

The slim boy turned his head and stared up at the machine's eyes. They glowed with this sense of life that disturbed and intrigued him. He narrowed his eyes at the great orange beast of metal, hydraulics, and part something else.

"No… But I simply cannot allow myself to rest. It has to be a continual effort. The entire establishment is at risk! What would happen if she went and spilled even the names of the squadron? Furthermore who are you to question my motives? You're a robot, subversive, submissive and inferior to me in every way!" He barked harshly.

.: _Your denial of rest is not the most logical path of action, Commander. You do need sleep. Take drugs if you cannot. You can't be functional and rescue her otherwise. :._

Dilandau felt frustrated. He knew exactly where she was, yet he couldn't go to her.

"Who said _anything _about rescuing? I'm not rescuing. I'm establishing safety protocols. It's more for my own benefit. Besides… I can't sleep, and I won't take drugs. Don't tell me what to do." He growled stubbornly, arms crossed.

The Libreia's arm whined slightly as it broke stasus and lifted one a massive talon-like three digit hand and tapped him on the head. Her blow was incredibly weak by her capabilities, but she had calculated it so that it would be just hard enough. Dilandau's arms uncrossed limply, his eyes rolled up in his head, he swayed gently for a moment, and then he fell over. Her curved metal claw was there to catch him. She lay him down on the ground gently, put him on his side, and pushed him so that he would be at least somewhat comfortable.

.: _Sleep well, Commander. You have a busy day tomorrow. I personally look forward to your performance as a knight in shining armour._ :. She said, and returned to stasus. Although the only onlooker was a small mouse, it would have sworn, had it been able to talk, that the hulking orange metal dragon seemed to be smiling.

Early in the morning, Allen woke Gabrielle. He brought her food, but she didn't touch it, and only drank from the vial of water he'd brought her. She was ravenously hungry, but she dare not eat whatever these foods were. They might be laced with poison. They might be anything. She watched him warily.

Gabrielle put down the empty vial, and stared at him hollowly.

"Please, just tell us what we want to know, and I won't hurt you." Allen finally said, and at the sound of his voice, Gabrielle almost startled. She stayed silent. Allen sighed. "Please, come on, my Pretty Flower." He said persuasively casting her a charming fox-like grin. She was immune to him.

"I am not yours," Gabrielle softly muttered, the words laced with ice. "…and I will never be."

"All right, then. Tell me, who your leader is or I will be forced to hurt you." He said. Shegave him silence. He shook his head, and slapped her across the face.

"It will take more than that." She spat haughtily. "What do you think I am, some kind of child?"

"Fine," He snarled darkly. His voice was strong, touched with a hint of the unknown. "I can do more. You will not eat until you speak." He said.

"I can deal with that. Your food sucks anyways," She sniffed. "I'll be dead soon, besides. You'll end up killing me before I say anything, and my squad won't come for me. I'm the worthless omega, the new recruit. I don't know anything, so, according to you, I'll just sit here and die." She said stiffly. He withdrew a small knife and slashed her shoulder. A line appeared on her skin through the cut fabric, and then it grew wider and red as she began to bleed. She withstood the sting easily, staring him in the eye. He cut her again, and she still did nothing more than breathe in a little deeper when the knife split her flesh.

"So, you have someone back at that base?" Allen asked slyly.

"What kind of ridiculous banter is that? I'm tired of speaking to you." She retorted.

"I ask questions around here, you!" He barked, and reluctantly cut her again. She had three horizontal marks on her shoulder, all of which were bleeding it long streaks. "Come on, answer! It's not a hard question." He hissed. A menacing tone was not very practiced for him, but his determination and viciousness held strong. Allen held up the knife again, which now had her blood dripping from the tip.

"I don't understand why you want to know this." She said flatly. "If I am obliged to answer, I'd appreciate at least knowing why before I tell you about my personal life."

"Because I want to know. There's no way you can't have someone. I'll bet you want to see them again, don't you?" He asked, almost soothingly.

"That's no business of yours." She growled. He held the knife underneath her throat, right by her jugular, and she felt the sharp knifepoint driving into her. She could feel the knife moving slightly with the pulsing of her blood flow. Gabrielle rolled her eyes.

"You won't kill me now." She said with a tired smile. "You haven't got anything out of me yet. It would be stupid to kill me. I've seen this in a million films." She hissed. Allen knew she was right.

"You'll never see the one you love back there." He said.

"Whatever," She growled. He noticed she had tears in her eyes.

"I'll let you go if you tell me what we want to know. I'll tell Zaibach we have you and we'll leave you somewhere easy for them to find. Then you can return to whoever it is." He said to her, trying to get her to talk.

"He wouldn't want me if I betrayed him. So no deal. You can shove it up your ass." She said back, her blue eyes filled.

"Who is it? Let's see... You were with that group... Hmm... The one named Chesta, perhaps? How about Dalet? Is that him?" He asked, poking her with the knife. She said nothing, her eyes glassy as she tried to ignore him.

"No? How about Guimel? ... No, eh? Migel? Gatti? Which one?" He insisted, and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

_How did he know their names? _It didn't matter. She fought back her tears. She'd never see any of them again. The only semblance of familiarity, again a remnant of memory.

"Hah! You don't mean to tell me you have affections for that maniacal tyrant? That pathetic excuse for a leader?" He cried, with a genuinely taken aback expression. She snapped her gaze back to his, and the firey anger burned.

"Never, ever insult him like that, you coward! How dare you!" She screeched. "If you'd had any sense of honour you'd have fought with him one-on-one without stealing me away."

"Hah!" He scoffed bitterly. "That ... Boy could never feel emotions. He's simply instructed to kill. You love him, and you will forever love alone." He shrugged, and she fought back her tears harder. She wouldn't cry in front of this man.

"It doesn't matter anyways. You'll never see him again, because once I have what I want out of you, I'll kill you." He said. "Too bad for you, pretty thing. You will eventually break." He told her.

"And how's that supposed to give me incentive to tell you anything? If I'm going to die anyways, why the hell bother opening my trap in the first place? Gods, you know nothing about interrogations at all, do you?"

"You… Insolent-"

"Allen, give it a rest." Vaughn muttered with a sigh. The knight hadn't realized Vaughn was in the room. "Just leave her alone for now." He spoke firmly and stared. Allen shot Vaughn a glance, but he complied and left. Once he had gone, Gabrielle hung her head and allowed herself to cry. She was bleeding still, but the ache in her chest hurt more. She didn't seem to notice Vaughn was still there.

"Hey," He said softly. "Don't cry." He said, and Gabrielle held her breath, without looking. She shrank away from him, with a snort of distrust. What now?

"No need to do that," He crouched in front of her. "You need to clean your wounds, or they'll get infected." He said. Vaughn recognized the name the girl had been crying out. _Dilandau._ It made sense. He went and got a rag before returning to her front. The black haired boy flipped out a knife, and she squeezed her eyes shut, waiting with a grimace for the stinging cut.

Gods, whatever. I've put up with enough bullshit. I just haven't the energy to fight… 

He only cut off the blood-soaked arms of her uniform, putting them aside. He put the blade back in the knife, and put it back away on his belt. He took the rag which he had dipped in water and wiped her cut shoulder. Gabrielle winced at the touch, but the cold water felt good. He then squeezed out the wet portion and bandaged up her shoulder. He cleaned the other one, and did the same.

"Thank you." She said quietly. "I'm sorry… It's just, I didn't really expect anyone to treat me like a person here."

"Yeah. There's someone I want you to meet." He nodded as he spoke over his shoulder, and he beckoned for her to stand up. She did so, shakily. The cold of the mountain outside bit at her bones.

"Hitomi!" Vaughn called.

"Coming!" Replied a female voice from somewhere. A few moments later, a girl with short brown hair, and wearing a Japanese sailor-type school uniform came up to them. "Yes?" She asked.

"This is the soldier we caught yesterday," Vaughn said, and the girl named Hitomi looked at Gabrielle. Gabrielle looked away shyly and sadly.

"She doesn't really look like a soldier. Hey, there!" Hitomi smiled.

"She doesn't… Talk much." Vaughn explained. "She's the pilot of the dragon you found out about. I need you to do a reading for her." He explained to Hitomi, and she nodded.

"Okay. What's her name?" Hitomi asked.

"Phi-" Gabrielle cut him off.

"Gabrielle. My name is Gabrielle." She said.

"That's a nice name," Hitomi said in a friendly tone. "That doesn't sound… Local. Where are you from? How'd you get to Zaibach?" Hitomi asked with a tilt of her head.

"I've heard rumours from the crewmen that another girl fell from the sky and Zaibach captured her. I think this is her." Vaughn spoke with closed eyes, and Hitomi looked stunned.

"I did... I… Don't know what's going on." Gabrielle blurted. Hitomi said nothing, though she plainly was biting her tongue.

"Well, my cards are back in my room. Come with me and I'll do the reading." She said rather distantly, and turned to walk. Gabrielle followed rather awkwardly behind Vaughn. They came up to a small room just a moment later and Hitomi opened the door. They walked in, and Hitomi motioned to chairs nearby a table. She pulled out a pack of Tarot cards and prepared them. Gabrielle was silent. Hitomi wasn't the only card reader in the room… But it was Gabrielle's turn to bite her tongue. The set that the girl spread on the table were very different looking. When she touched the cards as was customary before a Tarot reading, Gabrielle jerked back in surprise.

"They bit me!"

"They what?" Hitomi asked as she cradled the pack in her hands.

"… Nothing. Go."

Hitomi dealt the cards and interpreted them in near silence, sometimes whispering the names of the cards and trying to figure out their possible meanings.

"It says you've definitely come from someplace far away… I'm willing to bet it means Earth, or… The Mystic Moon as it's known here… This is definitely very odd. Death, new beginnings… The Knight of Pentacles, the wish card… -" Hitomi immersed herself quietly in the card's silent language.

Gabrielle sat in knowing silence, reading the spread for herself. She swallowed.

"… And with an outcome of the Tower. Vaughn, we need to get her back to him. She's part of an integral balance that we can't break. There's something really big going on here. Really big. We can't let politics and military stratagems get in the way. There's a tension between this card here, the Knight of Staves and whomever's the Knight of Swords. It's incredibly strong… And it looks like something's entwining us all. Something unnatural." Hitomi's voice was urgent, yet faint and strangely far off. Vaughn was visibly disturbed by the entire affair and ran a buckskin-gloved hand through his hair nervously.

"We can't let her go, Hitomi. The Zaibach forces will only corrupt and hurt her more." Vaughn sighed, deep in thought.

"How can you be so sure to trust these?"

"Vaughn, the dragon must be set free. It says so in the cards." She reasoned stubbornly, blowing a piece of her short hair from her eyes as she jabbed a finger at the spread.

"Exactly. Set _free._ Giving her back to the Zaibach forces is not setting her free!" He shot a glance.

"Please, Vaughn. We have to let her go. It's important. Please, give her back to that boy. It's the only thing he wants. We've got to restore balance or this whole thing will explode and nobody will be able to stop it. I'm not sure what it is yet… But whatever it is it effects us all. If we don't give her back, he'll stop at nothing, even if it kills himself in the process. That'll rip the last threads of whatever's holding this turmoil away." Hitomi nearly flailed in desperate exasperation.

"What boy?" Vaughn asked, and Hitomi was just about to describe when Allen knocked at the door.

"Vaughn! The Zaibach forces are on the move. Towards the Royal City!" He barked. Vaughn shot up immediately, and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. He was gone with Allen, leaving Gabrielle and Hitomi standing there.

"Gabrielle, you have got to get back." Hitomi placed her hand on the table as she spoke, withdrawing the cards.

"What's he look like…? You saw, right?" Gabrielle asked slowly, sure that she already knew.

"Tall, slim, pale, silver hair, I think. Really cold expression… I think he's some military commander guy. That's what he looks like, at least. I've seen him before, he's got red armour and-" Hitomi replied.

"Dilandau!" Gabrielle exclaimed.

"He'll die if you don't get back soon, and if he dies, we all do." She glowered.

"What do you mean, 'he'll die if I don't?'" Gabrielle asked, taken aback. Surely she couldn't cause his death! She wasn't that important. Sure, there was a little romantic tension, well… From her side anyways. So she knew.

"He won't stop trying to get you back, even if it kills him. And it will eventually, because he'll do it without any rest. Allen..." Hitomi explained. Gabrielle shut herself off.

_No more words… _She closed her eyes. _No more hopes… No more beliefs… No more crazy theories putting me in the pinnacle of this huge fray… Just, nothing. Quiet._

And so it went for days. Vaughn refused to let Gabrielle go, and Allen kept trying to question her, each time inflicting more pain upon her. He did it in vain, because Gabrielle kept her strong silence. Dilandau doggedly followed them, destroying everything in his path, and constantly staying one step behind. Gabrielle did not eat. She only drank water, and only if anyone else but Allen brought it. Gabrielle lost some weight, but still, she did not eat.

Eventually, Vaughn force-fed her rice and meat, as he could see there was no other way to get her to eat. Gabrielle struggled weakly against the boy, but eventually she caved, the taste of the food too delicious to resist. Accepting food only from Vaughn, it was late one night as Gabrielle ate her bowl of rice that she overheard Vaughn and Allen talking in another room.

"Alright. I think we've tired him out enough. He almost didn't make it last time. I say we bring Gabrielle as bait, and then we kill Dilandau." She recognized Allen's voice.

"I still don't think this is right. All he wants is Gabrielle back. Damn, he's said it enough times to us, and he hasn't attacked us unless we attacked him first. The readings did say that she should be given back." Vaughn said, the voice of reason.

"Vaughn, we want this war to end. He's a key. He has to be eliminated. If she needs to go too, so be it! Be a man," Allen said gruffly. "This is war." He added.

"Fine. We bring Gabrielle." Vaughn sighed.


	10. Chapter 10

Dilandau paced wearily in his quarters. The only mote of what could be half referred to as sleep he'd gotten was when the damn Libreia had knocked him out, and he'd only gotten two hours from that anyways. He blinked his heavy eyelids and stopped pacing. Why couldn't he sleep? There was always an angry undertone to him that kept him awake, and even the massive tiredness couldn't whet its appetite.

They had almost killed him last time, wrecking his suit and nearly killing him in the process. The only way he had gotten out was when the White Dragon's pilot had seemingly yelled at the bastard Asturian to stop crushing his cockpit. Dilandau sighed in his disgusted frustration and sat down in his stone chair. Slowly, the boy drummed his fingers on the edge of the seat, his head feeling as if it would explode. A ceaseless pounding rythmically throbbed in his head with waves of aching pain. The commander had dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep, but he didn't care. He barely even noticed them. He barely even noticed anything anymore. There was only the whispering of what could be voices inside his head, and only the numbness of overused and shattered nerves.

Sounds seemed so loud, and incredibly sharp. It was if anything that made a noise was sending its hideous sound waves directly into him, and he held his head for a minute, hoping to make it stop. It didn't. There was a rap at the door, and it nearly made him kneel down with the sound.

"Come in," He croaked. The sound again startled him. The brokenness of it. He found it'd nearly gone, replaced by some raspy groan that could only be made by some creature of the dead. He placed one hand gracelessly over his face, touching his forehead as he sprawled out limply in the chair. The door creaked, and he grit his teeth along with the frequency of the noise. He could hear the small grains of the metal in the door hinges sliding along each other, and each fibre of wood vibrating with the motion of the door. He almost screamed out loud, but he said nothing, only kept it bottled up within. It would serve as energy later.

"Master Dilandau?" Asked an oddly familiar, husky, deep voice. With great effort, the boy lifted his head to cast his fading gaze upon the guest. He could only see the silhouette of the one before him, the door closed behind the newcomer and cut off the light from outside. It took Dilandau's tired eyes a moment to refocus and adjust to the pleasant, and yet still only bearable gloom in the place.

Before him stood a very tall figure, slightly broadened and rippling with thick muscles. He was bipedal like a human, but covered in tan fur. His canid snout jutted from his face. Long triangular ears poked out from his regal head. The fur was short on his entire body but on the top of the head, like a human's hair. This hair was the same colour as the rest of his body and it cascaded in long gentle waves down his back. He was dressed in a uniform.

"Jajuka?" Dilandau's voice cracked as it asked of himself, squinting through his newly-acquired double vision that just couldn't be trusted. The tall figure bowed deeply.

"It is I, Master Dilandau." The canid man replied. Jajuka. The one and the same who'd raised Dilandau since as far as he could remember. Dilandau would have normally been more jubilant, but he just didn't have the energy.

"Might I ask the reason of your appearance, Master Dilandau?" Jajuka asked him imploringly. He'd had a thought. The information he was sent here with was a potential, but one could never know for sure with him…

"I'll tell you when I feel like it," He attempted a growl. He could barely form the words. Jajuka's slender eyes only closed in polite understanding of him. Emotional attachment. Dilandau could not take this.

"Have you not been told…? There was a new recruit… A female… And she's been taken hostage by the White Dragon."

Jajuka looked mildly surprised by such a seemingly emotional reaction to the possible loss of life.

"She is… Important…" He allowed himself, "And I will not rest until she is back safe."

At once, as it was Jajuka's way to read through the boy's carefully chosen words and harshness, he understood.

"I am greatly pained to hear of this, Master Dilandau. If I may, I shall request greater detail as to the girl. She must be of great skill or have valuable information to have illicited such a reaction from you … I was also told to inform you of 'new information' that they have obtained. The White Dragon will bring the one that you desire to the meadow by Kaladhar mountain. They want to give her back." Jajuka explained.

"When? Did they say when? I have to know. I have to go now. Now. When did they say?" The sudden volume of his own voice made his body shudder like a leaf in a gale. It disgusted him, but at the same time he hadn't the attention span to be vain at the moment.

"Sir, the time is not for another eight hours." Jajuka told Dilandau with a bow of his long face.

"May I suggest sleep until then, Master?" He closed his eyes as he spoke and swept his right hand across his chest, spreading the open palm over his heart, a gesture of deep respect. Dilandau blinked, ignoring the courtesy, but not punishing Jajuka for insubordination at his suggestion.

"I can't sleep. Ever since she's been gone. I just can't sleep. I worry too much." He said, and stared off into space. "… About information leaks." He blurted, a good second after he had finished the sentence. Damn his tiredness. He mustn't lose face!

"Permission to speak freely, sir?" Jajuka again swept his hand over his chest.

"Oh, go on then," Dilandau was too tired to refuse him. Besides, the Melchian already knew. He must. He had no use putting up this façade… The dog-man had raised him since birth. Dilandau realized that to Jajuka, he was glass.

"First time I've ever heard of you worrying about something or some_one_for that matter." Jajuka said with a smile. "Take something to help you sleep if you can't fall asleep on your own." Jajuka again calmly broached the subject.

"Don't question my decision to remain awake!" Dilandau snapped, ill-tempered.

Jajuka bowed his head deeply and apologetically.

"I had forgotten my place," He uttered. He replied in a most sensible tone. "Master, If they challenge you to a fight, which they probably will, you and I both know that even a great warrior, as tired as you are is a dead one. I merely speak from concern." Jajuka added politely, with a lilt of his long face.

Dilandau, at first, was silent,

"But, I..." He defied weakly, but his mind could no longer justify himself. It hadn't the power to. Eventually, he relented.

"Sleep. You will get her back tomorrow. Without fail if you get rest." Jajuka said.

Dilandau growled, averting his gaze.

"You would rather keep yourself weak and have a larger chance of failure than catch a few hours sleep and reduce the risk of error?" Jajuka asked, but it sounded more like a statement. He realized he was being risky… But perhaps the boy would see.

"All right, Jajuka. I see your logic. Wake me up in the morning. If I can get to sleep..." Muttered the exhausted commander.

"Shall I get you something, Master?" Jajuka asked with a bow.

"Please, Jajuka. Just something to get me to sleep." He said, as if he'd made up the idea in the first place. Jajuka smiled and nodded, ignoring his surprise at the 'please.' He bowed deeply and left the room on his errand.

Dilandau was left alone in his room again. He could get her back tomorrow. He wanted her back _now._ Tomorrow was too uncertain - Filled with too many variables. What if he failed? They'd most certainly kill him, but Gabrielle? He feared they'd kill her, too. His mind was sluggish and couldn't compute many thoughts in the seemingly yawning space of time it took Jajuka. At most, he realized how his emotions had flared and dulled down with tiredness. Still, they were there, but the anger was replaced by something else. There was no wit, no comebacks, no insults. Just this ache. At last, he returned a few moments later with a large glass of water and a small beige pill on a tray.

"A mild sedative, sir." He explained. Dilandau nodded without so much as a grunt. It took far too much effort, but he reached out and took the tray from Jajuka, dismissing him.

Dilandau took his uniform off and lay on his bed spread out. He allowed his head to fall to the side to look at the tray with the pill and the water on it. It was small, so in the very least it went down easily.

He felt again disgusted with himself about canceling out his vow not to rest until she was back, but he saw the obvious logic in the move that Jajuka had brought to his attention. As much as he denied it, Dilandau was weak and could not fight in the state he was in. Still, he felt he had done himself and her a betrayal somehow. Eventually the drug began to work. His senses grew even fuzzier than they already were. He fell in a sort of stupor, staring up at the ceiling, eyes half open but almost unseeing. His pupils dilated as consciousness faded.

He attempted to roll over on his side, but he couldn't move his muscles. It seemed his control was greatly delayed, and his mind told him he'd already turned, but he could feel he was still flat on his back like he always had been. He had only dreamed he'd turned over. He eventually managed to move himself to his side, his favourite way of sleeping. He fully closed his eyes with the last conscious effort he had. The drug wore off sometime around seven in the morning, but Dilandau slept on. Once the drug had given him the final nudge he needed to sleep, he stayed asleep for a long time. He didn't even stir that much. Only when dreaming did he stir, and even then it was only small spasmic twitches of his fingers or the slight movement of his arm or leg, no matter the violence of the dream.

Jajuka checked the sun outside the Dragonslayers' lair. It told him that it was near time. _I should wake up Dilandau. He needs to go at nine hundred sharp to make it to Kaladhar on time,_ Jajuka thought. _I had better wake him carefully..._ He mentally grunted, and he stood up from the chair and the scroll he'd been writing on. He placed down the ink feather pen back in the bottle of ink, and strode across the room. Jajuka was so tall that it only took him four strides to get across the room and out into the hall. The Melchian man walked down the hallway, headed directly for Dilandau's chambers. He rapped heavily on the door, but there was no answer. Jajuka sighed to himself with a small smile. Of course Dilandau would still be sleeping; He hadn't in several days. Jajuka felt a kind of parental feeling towards the adolescent commander. After all, the man had looked after the boy since Dilandau was very young.

Jajuka pressed in the combination to open the door, and it opened easily with a hiss. He ducked down a little to get his muscled frame through the door. Jajuka hid his smile and walked over to where Dilandau lay sprawled on the bed, only slightly tangled in the sheets. He tapped Dilandau on the shoulder. No reaction. He shook him a little. Still no reaction.

"Master Dilandau," Jajuka implored in a rough voice, shaking the boy.

"No... Don't want to get up. Gabrielle. Just minute... Stay here. No hurry." Dilandau mumbled, some of the words slurred. His eyes were still shut and a delicate sleepy expression adorned his features. Jajuka shook both the boy's shoulders.

"Wake up now, Master Dilandau." He barked gruffly.

"Stop it...! No hurry, I said…" Dilandau murmured in an annoyed, tired, 'go-away-and-leave-me-be' tone of voice.

"Forgive me, but I can't do that, Master Dilandau. Come on. Up. I let you sleep as long as I could. You have to be ready in a quarter to go get Gabrielle from the rebel group." He insisted. Dilandau's eyes snapped open, and he stared Jajuka in the face, nose to snout for a moment until he realized what the tan-coloured fuzzy thing in his face was.

"Jajuka?" He started dumbly. "J-Jajuka, what are you doing here?" Dilandau exclaimed, realizing his vulnerability in his... lack of clothing. He clapped his hands down over himself, and Jajuka chuckled.

"Get out!" The boy shrieked, bristling with fury in his embarrassment.

"Don't worry, you haven't anything I have not seen before." He said reassuringly, but Dilandau's eye twitched and he still looked aggravated. "I needed in here to wake you. My apologies, commander." Jajuka bowed once more.

"Sir, come now, don't be like that, I was and still am keeping my focus on your eyes. Forgive me, Master. Please, I'm only trying to help. You have a little less than a quarter to get ready to get to Kaladhar. The co-ordinates are pre-programmed for you already. It takes you hours to get there. Hurry." Jajuka said.

"I will go alone," Dilandau said, unsure, but saying it with no hint of such. Jajuka sensed this, studying him.

"I will follow only if under your orders, Master Dilandau." Jajuka replied, still keeping his sharp green eyes locked into Dilandau's magenta coloured ones.

"Follow at a distance, then." Dilandau commanded. "… Get me my clothes." He added quickly.

The Melchian laughed in a fatherly way and passed Dilandau a fresh set of clothes.

Jajuka turned around to humour the boy and looked at the one stone wall of the three in the room, some of which stones had engravings carved by Dilandau himself when he had gotten bored. There was a poem written in Melchian scripture and in Japanese and English copied down on three of the stones. Dilandau had been practising his Melchian scripture since Jajuka's sudden absence. The big dog-like man could tell. The syllables were much more well formed than when Dilandau had been taken away. Well, of course they were. Dilandau had been taken when he was only five. Jajuka had only gotten him to be able to read the scripture and start to begin to write it. Now, the characters were smoothly formed, evenly spaced, perfectly punctuated and expertly carved into the stone.

"You may face me now, Jajuka." Dilandau said finally. Jajuka turned as his Master had said. Dilandau passed Jajuka smoothly and washed his face, the door open for Jajuka to talk.

"Are you ready to get her back?" Jajuka asked.

"I have thought of nothing else for days. Excuse me." Dilandau replied flatly. Dilandau shut the door, and then emerged a minute later.

"Let's go." He said.

"The others know where I'm going. Gatti will find out and tell them. He always does." Jajuka and Dilandau went to the docking bay to get into the guymelefs.

Gabrielle was led outside onto the deck of Allen's ship, tethered and bound. The sky was grey and rain was falling. It intensified as soon as she stepped out of the cabin, and she was sure it was to spite her. The whole image of the ship was very grey, and Allen and Vaughn were conversing. She stood still in the cold rain pounding on her, her hair now soaked even after less than a minute of standing outside. It was just as wet as if she'd jumped into a pool.

Merle walked up quietly to Gabrielle.

"Hello, lady." She said in a small voice to Gabrielle. "You're going aren't you, lady?" She asked, her tail with that curious pom-pom on it swishing.

"Not of my own choice. Nor was it my own choice to come here, Merle, please understand." Gabrielle tried to explain. She'd grown fond of the little cat-girl, and she was a little upset to be leaving her.

"You have to fight us, still, don't you, lady?" She asked, her bright eyes looking up.

"Yes, Merle. I still have to fight you, if I make it out of here alive. I don't know why, but I have to. That place is the only place I know other than home. I have to obey. You understand, don't you, Merle?"

"Yes... Gabrielle, I understand. You're my friend, Gabrielle. I'll miss you."

She said, and she hugged her. Gabrielle managed a very small smile in all the grey and the rain and the sadness. "I'll miss you, too, Merle," She said. "You're one of my only friends here."

Merle looked down at the soaked and shining floorboards of the deck. She was contemplating something, but she reached a quick decision.

"Gabrielle, take this to remember me. It'll give you good luck and protect you. It's the only thing I have left from my parents." Merle said, taking off her necklace with the long red oval jewel on it and holding it up.

"Oh, Merle, I can't take that, it's too important." Gabrielle said. Merle only shoved it up closer to Gabrielle. "I'm not giving it to you. I'm letting you borrow it," She said.

"But, Merle, I'm not-" Gabrielle started, but was cut off.

"For when we meet again. Then I want it back. But until whenever that is, you'll need it. Good luck and protection wherever you are. Also, you'll have something to remember me by. Then, when we meet again, you'll still remember me, because you'll have had my amulet. Then we can tell each other what's happened in between the time!" Merle said, smiling up at her.

"Okay, Merle." Gabrielle replied.

"Remember, you're only borrowing it. I'll need it back someday. But right now… You need it more." The small girl blinked and looked at the floor.

"Gabrielle, we're taking you back now," Vaughn called. The security surrounding the strange Zaibachian soldier had lessened considerably during her stay. Most of the crew had come to trust Gabrielle to quiet, relaxed compliance if nothing else.

"Come over here!" The boy's voice hollered to her through the rain and over the deck. Gabrielle hesitantly put on Merle's amulet, and she walked over to Vaughn, looking back at the little pink-haired cat-girl that had been her friend, for a last look before she went. Merle waved, and that was the last she saw. Merle standing on the rain-soaked deck, and she smiled softly and waved at Gabrielle, one small hand clenched and put up to her mouth.

Then, the confused soldier was shoved rather rudely into the Scheherazade's cockpit beside the pilot's seat. Allen immediately took the thing to life and the Scheherazade crouched and jumped off the platform down to the forest below. She saw the Escaflowne in its dragon form leap out and fly over a mountain that was just in front of her. The mountain was part of a range, but it was by far the biggest and most impressive in all its regal boulder-strewn, snow-capped glory.

The Scheherazade started running and cleared the forest after about fifteen minutes. She could no longer hear the ship, and she figured it had flown far away by now to keep from being tracked. She said nothing, and Allen skillfully piloted the mecha through the mountain and overtop the side of it into the valley below. It was a beautiful valley, very large and expansive. It would have looked even more impressive if it hadn't all been soggy and water-logged with the seemingly endless rain. They ran through the valley to the very centre of it, and she could see the Escaflowne had landed, waiting for Allen.

.: _I'll go scout the perimeter and look for him._ :. Vaughn said over the radio. .: _By the way, I still think this is stupid. We should just give Gabrielle back. Peacefully._ :. Vaughn added with a sigh.

"Never! Dilandau will die today, and Gabrielle will be the beautiful little lure."

.: _... Whatever. I'll go scout, as I said._ :. Vaughn replied, and she watched the dragon reanimate and fly up, arcing and diving to gather speed to propel itself round better. She wised she'd been on the outside of that dragon, feeling the wind and reminders of freedom. Eventually, Allen opened the doors, and they got out of the gargantuan thing. The doors closed with a crackling hiss behind them, and then all was silent except for the constant patter of rain hitting leaves. Gabrielle was immediately drenched again. She was silent and listened. Nothing.

_Good. Maybe he won't come for me. Then he won't get caught…_

There was a large group of flat rocks over to the side of them, and the blonde knight took her up to one, just to have her elevated above the terrain a bit for effect. Gabrielle noticed him scanning the angle of the shadows cast about them. The man looked to the left and right before assuming a stoic posture, apparently gauging wind direction and other such things. Eventually, Allen smirked and touched the hilt of his sword.

"He's here..."

There was a distant whooshing of wind on metal and large amounts of material. Two large footprints in the earth a long way off appeared, and then the invisibility cloak dissipated. The Oreides stood askance to them, the view turned right at them.

_"No! Run! Get out of here!"_ She mouthed, closing her eyes. She knew he could see them clearly through a magnification viewer. The Oreides stood still, visibly hesitating. _"Please, run."_ She mouthed. The Oreides took a step back.

"Shit!" Cussed Allen, and he gripped Gabrielle's arm. He should have known that the commander wouldn't fall for something so easy. He had drastically underestimated him and felt somewhat embarrassed for it. The Oreides ceased movement, and Allen could feel Dilandau's hard, vengeful gaze on him as he clutched the girl's arm. "Ah, you don't like that, do you, little boy?" Allen sneered. Once he did nothing, the Oreides took another step back. Allen was about to withdraw a knife when he heard the hydraulics of a door open.

Dilandau pulled himself out and slid to the ground with fluid movements, expertly timed and arranged like those of a graceful cat.

"Almost got you _right_ where I want you..." Allen muttered. Gabrielle struggled and Allen wrenched her arm, causing her to cry out and bend down.

"You touch her again, and you die, pig!" Dilandau called to Allen.

Gabrielle's arm hurt. She bent down with the twist of her arm. The pain danced inside her like a rabid white wolf. Allen flipped out the dreaded knife and held her at knifepoint.

"Don't move!"

Gabrielle struggled in his grasp, and Allen slashed down and cleaved her previous cut. She yelped and convulsively jumped back. Unarmed, surprised, weakened, and confused, the girl watched as he withdrew his sword, holding it high up. She panicked and pulled away. Allen of Asturia sliced with calm precision through the air and cut deep diagonally into her chest, from below the collarbone almost down to one of her breasts. Gabrielle staggered for a half second as she attempted to recover, but was too caught in the momentum as she spun from the blow, losing all her strength with it. Her bright red blood mixed with the rain instantly and it flew off the sword, a lighter, oranger colour as it mixed with water.

Dilandau saw her fall into the puddle, her eyes open still, her face in an expression of surprise and sudden pain. The only thing he really heard was her scream and the splash of the water as she hit the cold stone, bleeding into the puddle and turning it red. He felt all his muscles lock as he stared at her. She was unmoving, and the wind whipped by again, and stirred her clothes and hair, but she did not move. All was wasted.

"You killed her, you son of a _bitch!_" Dilandau screamed at Allen, and was torn between running to her or running to kill Allen. For the moment, revenge had not won. It would be dealt with... Best to assure life still ran in what he came here for. Dilandau ran to Gabrielle. Allen merely stood and watched, interested and bemused.

She lay in the puddle on her side. He gently lifted her head with one hand, and stared, shocked, at her closed eyes. Many times he had seen the faces of those taken by death, but he could not bring himself to fully comprehend it this time. Allen laughed coldly, enjoying the sight of having this key officer in such easy range. By accident, Dilandau dropped her. Her head fell back limply and heavily to the side again, making a light tinkling '_splosh'_ as her cheek hit the stone. Dilandau held his breath and tore one glove off, holding his hand in front of her mouth and nose to feel for her breath. He couldn't feel anything. Biting back his rage, he checked again.

Dilandau lifted her up from the stone and laid her head on his lap. Grabbing her shoulders, he pressed his naked hand to her throat, feeling for a pulse. He heard Allen's cold laugh rang out again, and the pale commander of deminished numbers looked up at him with hate in his eyes. Why had he not struck yet? Was this some kind of sick game to him? These days, all wasted, only to watch the girl fall here. All that fretting, those strange feelings, those associations with positive things. He'd never know, now. Dilandau was reminded once of a feline he had seen, beautiful and striped, in the forests. Sliding from the bushes, a green and yellow serpent flared its finned head and prepared to strike. He'd made a sound, and the cat had whipped its head around to see the thing. As it leapt with wide eyes, jaws had clamped around its side. The hope and strength had bled from the animal as the venom slowly replaced its blood, thickening in its heart and poisoning its brain. It was perhaps the look of utter defeat that had saddened him most. Inevitability was something that had never sat well with Dilandau, and he narrowed his eyes as he looked at the gallant being before him.

So high and mighty, wasn't he? Looking back through the slicing drops of rain, his golden hair hanging straight and in matted pieces from the water, which ran in rivulets over the metal that adorned him and dampened the cloth that covered him. What exactly made Allen any better than himself? Some honourable knight was he, murdering people just as Dilandau had done. Simple, without consideration. A task completed, like the folding of paper between one's fingers. The realization dawned in Dilandau's eyes, and coiled in his stomach as a cold mass that he and this other man were on the same level of existance. Some twisted cohesion, some miscarriage of fate had brought them down to this moment. Witnessing the death of another was never a pleasant task, but, this?

He breathing was at first with a slight wheeze and much effort, but noticeable. The wracked form in her commander's arms coughed. She coughed again, a hoarse sound, choking up blood and a bit of water. Without a sound or a second thought Dilandau slid the arm that was already supporting her shoulder forward, and held her close for but a moment. He smiled shakily down at her, withdrawing slightly, all his anger at others ad his confidence at how he'd act with her when they finally met again sucked out of him.

With great effort, the girl drew herself up and onto her elbows. Wincing at the small torrent of blood that splashed down onto the rocks, she managed to shakily stand. Apparently, Allen was much taken aback by this. The cut must have been miscalculated. As he looked at the gash that graced her chest, he saw how effective the leather and neck guards were. Whilst there was a long slice in the equipment, it had only actually got her flesh in three places. It had been a stunning blow, nothing more.

She simply stood in the rain, giving Allen the most acidic look she could manage. Allen went again to lift his sword.

"You touch that goddamned piece of metal with an intention to hurt me ever again, and I swear," She threatened in a brave, frightening voice that sounded completely as if it were not her own. She almost didn't know what she was saying, but just as long as she kept shouting, she felt okay.

There was an intense feeling in her, though she knew not what it was. It felt very tight, and it pulsed as if it had a heart of its own.

"I want vengeance, but I know that whatever I can do to you is wothless in comparison to what will come. Whatever I received at your hands, it will come back threefold to _you!_" She roared. "Whatever pain, whatever malice, whatever rape and wrong intent, it will come back to you times three. It is the way the angel Karma, works. And I'll laugh at you, and when you die much sooner than me, I will dance upon your grave. Only the innocent lambs of Asturia who know not who you really are will mourn you, for they are too enthralled by the stories of the strong, brave long haired blonde knight that abound here. And that is all that they are, and all that they ever will be, unfortunately for this land. Stories." She hissed.

"What did you do to her?" Dilandau finally spoke, his voice a manic growl. He'd been feeling rather left out of all of this, gathering his own wits about him. The ranking commander got up from where he'd been sitting and rushed at Allen, feeling the world melt away. Rage sang in his veins as he withdrew his sword. Dilandau and Allen clashed, and they stood only about two feet from each other, straining to get their swords forward on either side. Their strength was just about equally matched, because neither of them moved a millimetre, but the swords were shaking and sparking with the effort they put in to it. Dilandau quickly grew tired, his low reserves of energy spent. He used the strength he didn't have and pushed forwards harder, making Allen take a step back. Dilandau slapped Allen's sword away neatly with his left hand, and in the brief half-second of confusion that followed, he tried to slash at Allen's throat, but the graceful knight had recovered and blocked Dilandau again.

With an open opportunity, the blonde knight let go of the sword with one hand and punched Dilandau right in the stomach. Dilandau took the blow with a twitch, but he didn't buckle at all. Grinning, the boy smiled the sort of broken expression that an enraged animal might make, and spat at Allen's feet. The man momentarily paused at the transgression before unleashing himself upon the disrespectful boy. With effort, he tried to fend off Allen's quick but strong blows, and he did block a few of them. But, Allen just kept going, and managed to beat Dilandau down after what seemed like a long time. He fell upon the gritty stone with a heavy sound, his body giving out beneath him. Uttering only the smallest grunt of denial, the ground accepted him.

Allen then turned his attention to Gabrielle, having taken care of the commander. She was standing, unarmed and frightened, but she had had quite enough of being abused.

"You," Allen snarled as he tried to slash at her. "You are quite beautiful, and intelligent, spirited and unlike many I've seen. I wanted you. Now it's too late, and today is the last day you'll ever see, which is too bad. You've disgraced my honour." He hissed coldly. She laughed in his face, disguising the wince that her stinging cut made with the movement.

"Hah! What honour would that be, pray tell? You're about to kill an unarmed girl! Tell me the honour in that!" She barked, and Allen looked to the side for a second.

"You're a member of the enemy's forces, and there will be one less when you die. Looks like I won't die before you, and I don't see any angels. Save you, of course, but you aren't in the position at all to rip my soul apart now, are you? I see one cut at your heart wouldn't kill you. Try another one!" He exclaimed, and lunged towards her.

Allen grunted as he slashed downwards and she jumped very neatly over the fast blade. Having the sudden advantage, she aimed a blow at the back of his neck. Hearing the satisfying smack of elbow to vertebrae, she grinned, but her expression faltered as she felt his weight shift. He lunged unexpectedly and shouldered her in the gut, rendering her breathless and smashing her head back on the rock when she fell back.

Her vision was double and it was hard to focus properly. She squinted, and she tried to move out of the way. She was very nauseous and felt a strong urge to throw up, but she did not. She saw him standing above her, smiling a half-smile. _This is it, I'm helpless. I can't do anything anymore._ She knew this in her mind. She felt she couldn't breathe, and heaved for air. Eventually she could breathe, but it hurt. Not as much as her head. She watched her death standing above her, and almost welcomed it. In the very least... She had not gone without a fight... She saw Allen raise his sword, and then a flash of red and black. Before she saw anything else, she passed out from the nausea and pain.

Dilandau had recovered and barreled into Allen, knocking both him and himself off the rock. They landed on the muddy ground near the rock, and Dilandau scrambled up first. The desperate boy held Allen at the throat, pinning him down and repeatedly smacked the Asturian, because Dilandau didn't have the strength to punch him. Allen reached up and grabbed Dilandau's neck, flipping him over and shoving Dilandau into the muddy earth.

"Foolish boy! You should have let me finish what I was doing," Allen hissed. "Because now I'm going to busy myself killing you...!" He snarled. Dilandau choked, and he found very quickly that couldn't breathe. Allen cast a wicked grin as his hair dripped onto the struggling commander beneath him. He knew that the boy couldn't move.

"It's now just a matter of time." Allen snapped, and Dilandau felt his head spin for lack of air.

Allen started as he caught the glimpse of something out of his peripheral vision. It was large and red, and it was going to smash the Scheherazade to pieces. Allen whipped his gaze, and saw a second Oreides, standing behind the Scheherazade, just about to destroy it.

"Shit!" Allen cussed again, and he got up off of Dilandau quicker than a fleeing hare and ran towards the Scheherazade. His method of battle, transportation and escape was far more important than this. Dilandau gasped, and air filled his lungs, finally. He got himself out of the mud, and he was nearly cleaned of it anyways because of the rain pouring down. He got to his feet slowly, stumbling several times, but all the while keeping a watchful eye on what was going on. Thrusting his arms up onto the slippery rock, he lost his balance twice as he dragged himself up the crags. Reaching at last the flat top, he made his way over to the blood-soaked body that was Gabrielle, unconscious and sprawled.

She was definitely out, and she was still bleeding. Gabrielle felt very cold to the touch and her breathing was very light and laboured. She'd lost a lot of blood... As it was, she wasn't in a good state. Dilandau could hear the metal-grating battle going on. Allen had gotten to his Scheharezade and Jajuka was fending him off. What worried him was the location of the White Dragon. Jajuka was well equipped and quite skilled enough to keep Allen occupied and at bay, but he didn't think Jajuka could handle the White Dragon at the same time. Dilandau hadn't heard nor seen of him; Maybe he hadn't come.

He lay Gabrielle across his lap. _What am I going to do?_ He asked himself.

"You have to make it back to the base," He told Gabrielle, even though she was far from being able to hear him. "Please, don't die." He asked of her, but the only answer was a silence. _How am I going to escape? I can't just go unnoticed. _He knew. He couldn't run as fast while carrying Gabrielle; If Allen had a spare moment, Dilandau and Gabrielle would be easy targets to pick off. There really was no cover except for the side of the rock they were on, and the Oreides, of course, but it was too far away. Dilandau knew he couldn't really fight again, either. He was exhausted, and he was hurt, too.

The rain was still pelting down, and Vaughn had snuck up to the rock, completely unnoticed by anyone. He was looking straight ahead at Dilandau and Gabrielle. Vaughn knew Allen was right; This was war, and Dilandau was a key officer. He had to die for Vaughn to gain a small advantage. The boy king climbed up onto the rock just as silently as ever. Dilandau had his head down, and couldn't see Vaughn approaching stealthily.

Dilandau heard wet grit beneath the other boy's feet, and turned. He finally looked up into Vaughn's eyes, and the strange thing was that Dilandau was not at all surprised to see him. Vaughn could see the sudden realization of defeat creep into Dilandau's mind, and the calm sadness. There was a very slight rustling sound, and beautiful black wings quietly spread out of Dilandau's back, from well disguised slits in the uniform. Flaring them, he covered Gabrielle and himself from the rain. They were like very large raven's wings, long and slightly wide, blacker than night with the light that shone on them a glossy blue. Dilandau said nothing. His movements were soft, quiet and gentle. Not at all like the vicious, spasming maniac he had been told about.

He only looked at Vaughn with an empty, defeated blankness, and Vaughn recognized the slight flicker of fear in his eyes. Gabrielle stirred and made a noise, and Dilandau's eyes dropped to her for a second as he looked down at her. In a quiet act of selflessness, Dilandau pulled her close and aimed her face away from Vaughn and towards himself, only so that she would not see the sword come down to seal her fate. Dilandau shushed her murmurs and told her to go to sleep. She was quiet again. He folded one wing behind him, leaving the other spread over her. Dilandau swallowed and looked back up at Vaughn with a hard expression. He closed his eyes and looked away, waiting for it.

Vaughn couldn't do it. He just couldn't make the easy move and take both their lives in a single stroke. Vaughn could only think that if it were the other way around, if it were himself and Hitomi. He saw just how oddly similar he really was to Dilandau. Vaughn took a deep breath, and he sheathed his sword. It just wasn't right to kill them. Dilandau looked back up, slightly confused.

"Why don't you do it?"He implored with an odd tone, just over the sound of the rain.

"Run." Vaughn said aloud. "I spare you this time." He said quietly, but there was a deep reason he was just not willing to voice. Vaughn turned on his heel. "I never saw you here, I never saw you approach, I never saw you leave." He said, and walked down the rock and leapt off, out of sight. Dilandau was stunned and a little confused. He wasn't clear as to why Vaughn hadn't killed them, but he was thankful for whatever reason had compelled Vaughn not to. Gabrielle was still bleeding, and he lifted her up and looked for the Oreides. He saw it a ways off. Jajuka and Allen were still fighting, and the commander figured Jajuka could keep him distracted for long enough. The officer ran down the rock and leapt up into the air, flapping his wings. He would have had enough propulsion if he'd simply jumped from where he was standing, but he felt he needed the extra speed.

She was light, only one hundred-ten pounds, but it was still very difficult to carry his own weight and hers. It dragged him down, but with a lot of effort that he had no idea where it was coming from, he managed to stay in the air. It was very difficult flight, but he got very close to the Oreides. With a final flap, he managed to boost them up to the cockpit doors. He gripped the bars of the door with one hand and kept her stable with the other. The doors began to slide open, and he slipped inside them before they were fully open. He just managed to shut them and get a cloak up when Allen noticed him.

Allen lunged at the spot where he'd seen the Oreides, but he stopped. Dilandau didn't know why, but it was because Vaughn had spoken to Allen on the radio.

.: _Allen, leave them alone._ :. Vaughn said sternly.

"What? Are you crazy? Gabrielle knows too much, and, what about Dilandau?" Allen exclaimed.

.:_"Allen, leave them alone. Just forget them for now. Anyone who loves someone as much as to sacrifice themselves deserves to live."_ :. Vaughn said in a tone that told Allen he would not take no for an answer. Allen would leave them alone, and that was that. The knight reluctantly turned away and followed the Escaflowne, which had honed in on the signal sent out by the ship. The Oreides had shot up in the air, and Dilandau was tracking the Zaibach Fortress to get back. He wanted to get back as soon as he could, because Gabrielle was growing fainter and fainter.

.: _Master Dilandau, are you alright?"_ :. Jajuka's deeply masculine voice crackled over the radio.

"Yes, Jajuka. I'm okay. She's not so good, though..." Dilandau replied, trailing off as he looked back at her. .: _"Well, what are we waiting for?"_ :. Jajuka asked. .: _"I've got the locations here if you don't have them, Master Dilandau. I'll upload them for you."_ :. Jajuka said quickly, and the computer beeped a few seconds later. A panel popped up displaying the grid location, and the words 'Destination Locked.' Dilandau could only bring himself to look on with concern at the girl lying beside him, and then the Oreides moved forwards as fast as the engines could propel it towards the Fortress.

Gabrielle stirred, but didn't open her eyes. It seemed as if only a second had passed since she'd fallen down on that rock and passed out. Her head hurt. So did her chest and stomach. A continuous beeping sound became noticeable to her. _What's that sound?_ She wondered. It took her a moment to place it. _A heart monitor. What the?_ The beeping sped up a little. _Am I in trouble? Am I dying or something?_ She caught snips of a conversation.

"Blood transfusion... Only one match amongst you. ... He came with her just in time... Glad it worked... Out for hours... She seems to be coming around now." A feminine voice was talking to someone.

There was the nurse that she'd seen when she'd first come to Zaibach. She was speaking to Guimel. She recognized his voice. She felt as though only half her mind was here... She was only half-conscious. She felt herself beginning to slip away again...

"He doesn't know it worked yet. Should I get him?" Guimel asked the nurse.

"If he wishes to see her, he can now. She'll be fairly weak, though, because her body is just accepting the blood now and she's getting over the anaesthetic. Tell him that. She probably can't stay awake for long. It's best if she sleeps it off, so he can only see her for a few minutes." The nurse said, and she heard Guimel say he understood and that he'd go get 'him.' Guimel said that 'he' told him that if he didn't get him the moment she was either affirmatively alive or dead, Guimel would be thrown off the Fortress. The nurse laughed and said, "Dilandau's most popular threat, isn't it?" Guimel agreed, and then she heard his footsteps leave the room.

_God, I feel so weak! I can barely open my eyes,_ She thought. _Hell, I can barely think._ She felt very sleepy. It seemed that speech kept her tied to consciousness, and she dozed when no-one was speaking for a while. She was fairly far into the realms of sleep when Dilandau came into the room. He spoke with the nurse quietly for a second, and then he walked up to the bedside where she was asleep. The daylight shone in from the window, and it was a clear sky outside. Gabrielle could sense his presence in the room, and she lifted out of sleep just a little bit. It took her a minute to shake off the sleep. Dilandau was sitting on a stool near the bed with an expression of concern. He was silent. He looked a little more rested than before, and he reached out and touched her hand to get her attention. She could tell he wanted to say something.

"Hey," She said very quietly. It was all she could manage. He gave her a small ghost of a smile.

"Hi," He replied. Looking down at her hand in a manner that belayed almost shyness, he inspected it, turning it over. His thumb made circles in the palm of her hand.

"What happened?" She breathed. She couldn't remember past whacking her head on the rock.

"I got you back." He said simply he was muttering, voice low in the white room. "You lost a lot of blood and we had to find a match. There was only one among all the squads and teams. We all got tested." He said. She looked at him as if to ask, 'who?'

"It was Gatti. Gatti was the only blood match. You're an 'O' negative, so you can give to all of us, but you can only get the same back. Anyways, you need to sleep. Your cuts will be gone in a while, but you need time to sleep off the anaesthetic and the weakness." He reasoned, and he hesitated slightly as if he were about to do something, yet didn't quite know what to do with himself. He sat withdrawn back on the stool and waited for her to fall back asleep, wishing he'd had the nerve to tell her what this feeling was.

He watched her fall deep asleep, and the nurse came a few minutes later, breaking the slow, almost-silence. The only sound was his and her soft breathing.

"Visiting hours are over, sir," The nurse whispered. Still gazing at Gabrielle, asleep, he nodded slowly. He turned his gaze to the nurse.

"She'll be all right, won't she?" He whispered back. The nurse smiled and nodded.

"In a matter of hours, she'll be fine. She's on speed-healing drugs. She'll be better in about twenty-four hours, so she's staying overnight." She replied with a soft smile. Dilandau nodded and turned back to Gabrielle, still holding her hand.

"I'm staying longer." He stated. He hesitated, and then quietly muttered, "Please."

_Dilandau's never... _asked_ ... For anything before!_ The nurse was surprised as she thought. _Only demanded... It is against protocol... But, he is a high commanding officer. He could probably override. I could ask..._ The nurse looked puzzled, and Dilandau waited calmly for her answer.

"I... I don't know... Let me ask the Head Nurse. Just wait here, I'll only be a moment." She said, and she clicked off into one of the other rooms. Dilandau waited, making circles on Gabrielle's palm with his thumb. It was almost instinctual, and calming in a strange sense.

_When should I tell you?_ He wondered to her. _I want to, but the words catch in my mouth. What if I never get the chance? What if I die before I tell you?_ He wondered, his mind tormenting him, concern tracing his stoic features. He remembered the conversation between him and a few of the Dragonslayers before Gabrielle had disappeared. Guimel... Was it Guimel? Had said that Dilandau should take Gabrielle to dinner and tell her. Maybe...

"Head Nurse says-" The nurse started to talk, and it snapped Dilandau out of his train of thought. He grunted. "Oh, sorry." She apologized. "Um, Head Nurse says that since you're in such a high rank, you can stay as long as you want." She said, and Dilandau nodded, looking back at Gabrielle again.

"Okay." He said simply. The nurse nodded, and then she was called away by the sound of a bell coming from one of the rooms.

"Excuse me." She said, and walked away.

Dilandau could see the cuts on Gabrielle were still not fully healed. He gazed at the part of one he could see, the top of the cut extending just above her collar bone. She only had bandages on her top, and she was covered in a blanket from the top of her bandages down. She was sleeping peacefully, her head facing him. He went to pull the blanket up to her neck to keep her warmer and the cut covered when he touched the cut by accident. She showed no reaction; She probably had numbing cream applied to it.

A strange sensation filled his body, traveling from his hand which touched the cut up his arm and to his back, where it immediately spread out all the way down to his toes. It was almost like an electric shock, but not unpleasant in any way. Neither was it pleasant, it was just a sensation. He could feel his wings wanting to come out, and he tried to subdue them. He could not. They popped out of his back, spraying a few black feathers around the room. The shock-like feeling grew incredibly strong, and it then dissipated to a dull buzzing feeling in his arm. He took his hand away, staring at it dumbly. He looked back at her. _What did I do?_ He dumbfoundedly asked himself.

Her cut was completely gone. Or at least the part he could see was, anyways. No trace of one at all. Gabrielle's eyes fluttered a little and she opened them, wide awake.

"Wha?" She breathed, and she sat up quickly. Dilandau was just as shocked as she was. She looked at him. "What just happened?" She asked, slightly afraid of the unknown.

"Uh?" He grunted quizzically. Gabrielle touched where the cut had been. Nothing. Just smooth, undamaged skin. He sat dumbly staring at his hand, his wings fluttering in unconscious expressions of his confusion. There were black feathers everywhere. He looked around quickly after he'd gathered his wits about him. "Fuck! No-one but you and Vaughn know I have wings! I want to keep them hidden, not become the latest science experiment!"

"Put in your wings, I'll think of an excuse!" She said. It occurred to her suddenly she didn't feel weak at all. Dilandau concentrated and his wings retracted. It had been good timing, because the nurse walked in at just that moment.

"Oh!" She said, a confused expression appearing appearing on the young nurse's delicate features. "What happened? Oh my!" She exclaimed, surveying the room, black feathers everywhere.

"A bird!" Gabrielle piped up. "It was a bird! It smashed in here and flew out, leaving its feathers!" She said excitedly. Dilandau looked at her, and back at the nurse.

"A Barghef! Yeah, it was a big, lead Barghef." He added, gesturing with his arms and playing along with it. The nurse looked confused.

"A single Barghef couldn't have let off these many feathers." She said.

"Oh, but it was a _big_ Barghef!" Gabrielle said. Dilandau put on a stone face to keep himself from laughing. Barghef, indeed.

"And you? Why aren't you sick? You had a blood transfusion, you should be exhausted!" The nurse added.

"I feel fine." Gabrielle said.

"What...? That's impossible. Let me do a test on you. Gosh, those must be the new speed-healing drugs to work that quickly." The nurse said, and she picked up a small machine. She waved it over Gabrielle, and she reviewed the results.

"You're... _Completely normal._ You're healthy in every respect... That's so... _wierd!_ Well... I'll go file the release form." She said apprehensively. "You're free to leave, I guess." The young nurse said, dismissing it all.

Gabrielle was given back her uniform, and she changed promptly. "That was weird." She said to Dilandau once they were out of the medical wing. Dilandau said nothing for a moment in agreement.

"You know, I'm happy that you're back." Dilandau said to her. "I've never really been happy in a long time." He continued.

"Well, I'm glad that you're happy now." She said, and she smiled at him.

He repeated phrases over and over and over in his mind, trying to say it but the words just wouldn't come.

"Would you come to dinner with me... Tomorrow night?" He asked her, mind racing.

"Of course I would. I'd love to." She replied, and he nearly danced inside.

"You should go to your quarters and go to sleep." He said to her.

_Yes, go to your quarters and go to sleep... Or come with me to mine… _A voice was saying in his head.

"Or, you could come to-" He just about said it. He cut off right there.

"I could come to where?" She asked innocently, adjusting her uniform's collar.

"You could... You could... " He searched for something to get himself out of the hole.

"You could always come with me for a while to mine." It hadn't sounded that bad in his head.

_What an idiot you are!_ A voice belittled him.

She giggled. "Just for a while, then. To talk. But then I have to go to mine and sleep, I'm actually getting tired." She said, and she continued to walk with him to his quarters. "So, where are we going to go for dinner tomorrow?" She asked, and he thought a minute.

"Just someplace I know," Was his sly answer, and it made her burn with curiosity.

"What kind of place?" She tried to extract information from him.

"A nice place." He said.

"Well that really clears things up now, doesn't it?" She asked sarcastically. He smiled slightly.

"Yes it does." He replied, just as sarcastically. She laughed.

She looked around the hallway, and then looked back at him.

"Why do you want to keep them hidden, Dilandau?" She asked in a low voice.

"Keep what hidden?"

"These," She said, and she touched his back.

"Oh. Well, if anyone found out, I'd be reported and I'd be studied. They'd probably end up dissecting me to see how they work or something. Obviously, I don't feel like being the latest test subject on that matter." He explained.

"I see." She replied,and bit her lip.


	11. Chapter 11

They arrived at Dilandau's lavishly decorated quarters after some time of walking on the echoing floors. When they arrived, Gabrielle took herself to the smaller and less important-looking of the two chairs there, not wanting to offend the sense of superiority that she detected was so strong within him. The foreign girl curled up in it and sat with her knees up to her chin, gazing across at him. The chairs faced each other.

"Thanks for coming back for me," She said blankly after a moment, unable to think of anything else to say in the sudden solitude with him.

"I'm…" The girl trailed off. She couldn't bring herself to say much else.

"Well, it's my responsibility to go after you. You're one of my men, er, _people._ Besides, even if you weren't, I wouldn't leave you to those barbarians. What's done is done, objective completed, that is all." He closed his eyes as he spoke, reclining into the chair. Gabrielle thought it was rather unlike him to downplay his efforts.

Dilandau opened one eye a slit as he changed the subject.

"This affair of ours going on tomorrow night, what time do you want to go?" He asked.

"Whatever's good for you." She said casually, looking about at the room. An expression came across Gabrielle that made Dilandau open both eyes slowly.

"Do I have to dress up…?" She asked, her expression that of masked concern and embarrassment.

"Well... I was planning on it, yes. It's a nice place we're going to." He replied. She looked at the floor. "What's wrong? You have something to wear." He said.

"Yes, I do, but... That dress... Shows my back." She said, staring avidly at the floor as if she were talking to it instead.

"What's wrong with that?" He asked, confused. She'd worn it for Gatti. Was this some kind of cultural thing?

"Allen gave me cuts on my back," She said, and he could see the tears forming. "I can't show it, people will think you hit me or something. I can't feel them because of the healing stuff in the Infirmary. Allen never failed to punish me when I wouldn't answer his questions." She stuttered, her voice hot with shame, and Dilandau was silent.

"He... Also tried to make advances on me, and when I refused, he beat me. There are bruises… I wouldn't let him near, and when he tried to overpower me I kicked him in the face. He threw me against a wall and then lashed me. He only did things like that when no-one else was around. Vaughn wouldn't stand for it and would make him stop each time. He caught Allen trying to dislocate my arms or something… Twisting them around because I wouldn't tell, and he got furious and ordered Allen to stop. He said that Allen was nice when you got to know him and if you were on the right side of the argument." She explained, and she stared at the floor. Dilandau felt the anger building up inside him. Loathing for Allen coursed through his being.

"And so that's why I can't wear the dress." She said, almost choking on the memories. Dilandau remembered how he'd somehow healed the cut. That would have made a scar, and yet there was no mark on her where the cut had once been. Just maybe... Maybe...

"I have an idea," He spoke up.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Just let me see your back." He flatly told her.

"Why for?" She asked, looking confused.

"Well, they may already be gone." He said.

"That can't be." She said.

"Neither's me healing the cut on your chest possible. Or you remember when the Libreia drew blood from you? I healed that too. Just let me see." He insisted, his tone becoming clipped, like when he ordered others around.

"Well... Okay... But, turn around, please? I can't exactly open the top from the back." She said, and Dilandau stood up and faced the wall. He blatantly ignored the screaming fact that he wanted to look. That burning curiosity flared as the rustle of clothes moved about. He ignored them.

"Okay…" She sighed, and he turned around. She was standing out of the chair, and she had her shirt clutched to her chest. "I don't understand, but..." She trailed off. He walked behind her, and he blatantly ignored the _other_ screaming fact that he wanted to push her onto the bed and kiss her all over. To get it out of his mind, he crushed the thought down as small as possible, but it still remained, not small enough to be completely ignored. He looked at Gabrielle's back. She was not lying, as there were two long, slightly curved lines where something had lashed her. She had a few other bruises, and some small cuts. He then spread his wings gently and cautiously, having gained more control of them in the time since he knew he had them.

Gabrielle sat patiently as she heard his wings spread. She watched a single feather float to the ground, spinning lazily as it drifted. She reached out and caught the feather between her fingers and looked at it. The blade of the wind was long and a pure black. The light that shone on it made bands of deep rich violet and highlighted blue appear across its width. She stroked its shape, feeling the softness of the feather on the tuft right before the small stalk where it had once connected to one of Dilandau's wings. She blew the thing away, and it flew all the way across the room from just a small breath.

Gabrielle felt him tentatively place his cool, long-fingered hands on her back, and nothing happened for a moment. She just felt the dull warmth of his spread hands. Confused, she paused as then a strange feeling took her over. Like a shock, but it was more of a tingle. It traveled down her back and spread over her entire body. It was warm, and almost comforting in a strange way. She felt lines on her back with a sensation like they were being undrawn; Erased completely from her back with precision. The feeling died down to a gentle buzzing sensation, and then it dissipated into nothing. Dilandau had taken his hand away.

He felt horribly weak for a second, but he quickly regained his strength, and it turned back to normal. She had no marks left on her back. No marks but the small brown freckle she had underneath her right shoulderblade remained. He walked around to the front of her again.

"They're gone. All your scars on your back are gone." He said. He realized his wings were still spread, and he stretched them. He spread them wide, and it was a good thing his room was as big as it was. The tips of his primary feathers just brushed the wall on either side of him. He stretched his arms at the same time.

She thought he looked quite impressive; Standing there at his tall height, his magnificent wings spread to their maximum wingspan. He let his wings droop slightly for a moment after he'd stretched them. "I need to fly some more," He said simply. "Else they'll get weak."

She wanted to touch the sleek, soft wings. She wanted to be able to fly, too, and it made her feel the smallest tweak of jealousy. She hated the fact that she couldn't fly.

"You're so lucky," She said to him with wonder in her eyes. He looked away to hide a smile and looked away, and the shining black wings went back and disappeared from view. She put on her shirt.

"And on that note, I think I'll go to bed." Gabrielle said, and she stood up. She could see the disappointment behind Dilandau's eyes that he was trying to hide. He stood up to show her to the door. She walked over to him, and she hugged him. He stood stiff under her gentle embrace. She felt so grateful to him for all he'd done for her.

"Thank you for everything. It's so good to see you again."

She hesitated for only a second before she stepped up on her tip-toes and kissed him. Gabrielle felt his body relax slightly. She hugged him again briefly, and felt his hand very lightly touch her back as she did so. She then turned from him and walked to the exit. "Goodnight, Dilandau." She whispered, and she left him standing in his quarters.

She made her way down the hall quietly, and her thoughts were lost for a while as she walked. She heard her name called and looked over her shoulder. Migel was approaching and walking up the same hall. "Hi Migel." She said softly.

"Good to see that you're back, and that you're all right." He said, at a loss for other words. He didn't really talk much.

"Thanks, and yeah... I'm going to bed now. I'm glad to be back, too. I'll see you in the morning." She said, and she smiled at him and continued on her way after he'd said goodbye.

She arrived at her quarters and got changed swiftly, with no other aim but to go to sleep. She lifted the book she'd been reading before she left and placed it on the night-table so she didn't knock it off the bed while she slept. She stripped of her uniform and fell straight into bed because she was so tired.

Back in his quarters that same night, Dilandau just felt a sense of relief now that she was home safe and was only two corridors away from him. All the days of no sleep seemed to finally catch up to him, and he got changed and lay in in the covers but only for a second of consciousness before he fell deep asleep.

Gabrielle awoke to the sound of a message buzzer. She pressed the play button and it told her to go to the dining room for breakfast. She arrived in the dining room to the smiling faces of the Dragonslayers and most of all, Dilandau. They all greeted her warmly and she felt like she had never really left at all and it was all just a horrible dream.

She sat down with them and they offered her food willingly and insistently, because she had become very slim in the week or so she'd spent aboard Allen's ship. She ate hungrily, but had to remember not to gorge herself completely because she had been so starved for a long time.

In the middle of her eating, the door opened, and a very tall, dog-like man came walking in the door. She recognized him immediately as a Melchian. He sat down at the table across from her and next to Dilandau. She hadn't noticed an extra chair was at the table. The tall Melchian man glanced at her a few times, and he waited patiently for his food. After a moment of waiting, he spoke to Dilandau.

"So, Master Dilandau, who is this beauteous creature?" He asked in a very deep, strong masculine voice. "This is Gabrielle. Gabrielle, this is Jajuka, and vice versa." Dilandau said.

"Dhar' yo." Gabrielle said, smiling.

"Oh, you speak some of the Melchian language?" Jajuka asked.

"I read it in a book." She said. "That's about the extent of my knowledge." She admitted, smiling. Jajuka grinned, and his food was served. She noticed that Jajuka's food was not the disgusting slop everyone else was served, except for herself. She had noticed she'd been given the nicer food instead of the gross slippery masses given to the Dragonslayers.

There was a sudden high-pitched beep, and she noticed Jajuka winced. He had very good hearing, and the frequency was painful to him. A young male voice spoke. "Dragonslayers report to the Landing Pad immediately.

The relaxed mood in the dining room dissappeared immediately, replaced by a rushed tension. They all got up and went to the Landing Pad, Gabrielle completely lost but following the last in line anyway. It happened to be Chesta.

"Chesta, what are we doing?' She asked, somewhat worriedly.

"We're going on a ground mission," He replied. "But we're not taking mechas. There'll be a group of horses on the ground to take us to our destination so that we're less conspicuous. We have to jump from a Carrier Mecha." Chesta explained hurriedly. They were almost there. Gabrielle swallowed.

"J-Jump?" She asked, but he was already on the Carrier. She nervously stepped on. She always loved heights, but only when she was in planes, or some other safe method of flying. What if the parachute didn't open? She'd fall, screaming to her death thousands of feet below! She felt the Carrier lurch into the air, and she felt slightly sick. All the colour had drained from her face.

She and the others remained in silence throughout the journey to their jump destination, except for Dilandau giving them instructions. She was practically shaking with nervousness. She'd never ever wanted to try skydiving. Now she was being ordered to. She watched Jajuka just out of fascination. He looked at her and smiled, and he looked out the window.

"Okay, everyone." Dilandau finally spoke. "Up, on your feet. Move!" He ordered, and everyone got to their feet, lining up single file in front of the door. Gabrielle got in line second to last.

Dilandau opened the door, and the pressure made her ears pop. She winced, and she noticed Jajuka did the same. Dalet was passed a pack, he put it on and jumped out of view. Next was Guimel, then Chesta, then Migel, and then Jajuka. It was finally her turn. She looked out the door, the wind whipping by, and her breath caught in her throat, butterflies exploded in her stomach, and the cold knot of fear gripped her seemingly by the neck, suffocating her.

"Jump," Dilandau said coaxingly. She looked at him, and out the door. She looked back, shaking her head. "I can't!" She replied. Gatti passed her a pack. She put it on, but still, she found she was rooted to the spot. Gatti pushed her closer to the edge, and she yelped, digging her heels, and attempting to go back. She was right at the door. She clutched at the steel. "Let someone go before me, I can't do it!" She exclaimed. "It just doesn't feel right, and I'm so afraid! I don't know what to do!"

"Too bad," Dilandau said, but not in an angry tone. "Your orders are to jump. Do it." He said. She looked at him with absolute panic in her eyes. Dilandau looked just behind her and she saw his expression turn to surprise. She felt a foot on her back, and Gatti had pushed her out of the door. What Dilandau saw just before she fell was something that made his heart stop. It was an orange tag sticking on the outside of the pack that read, '_Medical Gear._'

She hung in space for what seemed like forever, she flipped behind her very quickly and tried to grab onto the edge of the door but it was too late. The wind and the speed tore her away from the Carrier faster than her mind could get a grip on. She was falling, falling falling, and spinning through the endless skies, and she felt the whole world must be able to hear her scream.

Dilandau turned to face Gatti.

"You idiot! You _fucking idiot!_" He screamed. Gatti cowered. What had he done wrong? She was too afraid to obey orders and time was running out. Dilandau stared Gatti in the face. Gatti saw the fear in Dilandau's eyes, but not fear for himself.

"You gave her the Medic Pack. The _Medic Pack!_ You didn't check for the orange tag!" Dilandau roared. Panic siezed Gatti.

"Oh Gods! What're we gonna do?" He shrieked, and Dilandau stared at him.

"Jump now, or get out of my way, you moron." He hissed, and Dilandau took off his pack and handed it to Gatti.

"Drop this and die," He snarled, and Gatti was lost for words. "Jump, you fool! Get out of my way!" Dilandau roared, and Gatti did what he was told with no more further thought.

Dilandau leapt out of the Carrier and spread his wings, steadying himself. He began to drop when he saw Gabrielle. She was still about two thousand feet up, and dropping fast. He lined himself up and opened his arms to catch her.

Gabrielle was incredibly afraid. Her mind was absolutely wild with panic, and she was crying. She had tried to find a ripcord on the bag, but there was none. This was the end. She wished she had wings. There was a tight feeling in her back, and then the whole front of her uniform ripped away. She grabbed half of the shirt that had split apart and held it to her.

She looked up and to the side, and there were two wings that were protruding from either shoulder. They were snow white except for halfway up the primary feathers, which were black. She could control them just as well as she could control her arms.

Panic-ridden, she flapped her wings as hard as she could, and she noticed her fall slowed, but she was still falling fast. Fast enough that when she hit the ground, it would kill her. She was having troubles beating them in synchronization, and they were too weak to keep her airborne properly. They shook as she, panicked, tried to flap them. Eventually, they gave out, too tired to work anymore. She forced them to flap anyways, and for a brief few seconds, she hovered in the air. She continued to fall after that, until something smacked into her, hard, and propelled her sideways.

Two strong arms clamped about her waist. Heavy wingbeats sounded in the air, just behind her. Not her wings. She turned her head, and she found herself in the arms of Dilandau, working hard to keep them from plummeting straight down. They began to move forwards, slowly at first, but then faster, towards the spot that the others had landed.

"Retract your wings," He said. "I can't risk that you be studied, too. I don't think any one of them will tell, but if they do, I can't risk it." He said.

"No, I can fend for myself." She said. She felt like she was being babied.

"No you... Well, yes you can, that's not what I meant to say. I mean you don't understand, I mean... I just can't let you."

"But I have wings... And I want to fly," She said stubbornly. She wasn't thinking straight from the shock.

"I know you do. But you can't right now, not without excercising your wings first. They're too weak right now, you've gone seventeen years without using them once. Please, just retract your wings and do as I say, please." He begged her. She retracted them somehow, and Dilandau hugged her closer. She felt safe in his arms.

Dilandau had an idea, and he skimmed the treeline. He landed a few metres from their destination point, and he and Gabrielle walked into the small clearing where the rest of them waited. The Dragonslayers all looked up when Dilandau and Gabrielle broke the treeline, stepping out onto the grass.

"Gabrielle! Thank God!" Gatti exclaimed. Then he looked puzzled. "How did you... How did you... _survive?_" Gatti asked, and the rest all voiced their agreement in question. All except Jajuka. They were silent for a moment. Gabrielle looked up at Dilandau, looking for a sign to see what he was going to say.

"You all swear on your honour as a member of the Dragonslayers... Your very _lives_, that what I am about to show you... You will never tell to anyone?" Dilandau asked boldly.

"Aye." They all said unanimously. Dilandau spread his wings. All of them gasped, all except Jajuka and Gabrielle.

"So that's why you could jump without a pack..." Gatti murmured. Dilandau folded his wings and they disappeared. "And thanks to you, Gabrielle nearly died. If I hadn't had wings, she would have fallen to her death. I never would have made it to her in time. The 'chute wouldn't have opened enough." He said darkly as he glared at Gatti.

"Lord Dilandau, I'm so sorry, I-"

"Just be quiet. The problem is solved, and we have a mission to carry out. Mount the horses." He said solemnly, and they did as he said.

The mission went fairly uneventfully. There was one assassination to be done, which Dalet handled flawlessly. The others were sent for backup, except Dilandau, who had to go regardless because he was the leader. They trotted off after the dirty work was done, galloping over the few hills until they reached the place where the Carrier was going to meet them. They tied the horses up, for the second Carrier to come and pick up.

Dilandau had to snap several times at everyone except Gabrielle and Jajuka to stop staring at him. He'd wished he never had to show them his wings, but how else could he have explained it? It was too late now, anyways. They were his men; He trusted them; They'd never tell.

Gabrielle and Dilandau walked away together from the Docking Bay hours later. Dilandau was talking to her about that night. "You still want to go with me, right?" He asked her, fidgeting with the strap on his sword.

"Yes, of course I do." She said.

"Okay. You have the dress... And I have something picked out, so... Can I meet you in two hours at your quarters?" He asked, and she nodded. "Okay." He affirmed, and then they reached the fork in the hall where they split off to go to their quarters.

Dilandau had a tune in the Melchian language stuck in his head. He smiled when he remembered the title_.'Two Rains,'_ It was called. He pondered the metaphoric rhythm.

_Tonight I won't let my mind confuse me. After dinner, I'll tell her I love her. I will._ He opened the door to his quarters and shut them, immediately picking out what he was going to wear. He knew exactly what it was. How fortunate it was that his hair was silver! It had lost almost all colour by the time he was seven. He set about getting himself ready and humming the song to himself. He never hummed songs at all. It was strange, but enjoyable. He smiled. Tonight was the night he was going to tell her.

Gabrielle turned on music in her quarters. She had two hours to just put on a dress. She lounged around for a few minutes on her bed, finishing up a chapter in the book on Melchians. She finished the chapter and replaced the bookmark, staring at the wall. She was just in her underclothes because she saw no point in getting changed just yet. She got up and walked to the middle of the room.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on spreading her wings. After a minute, there was a slight rustle and her shoulders felt warm. Her wings were folded behind her back. She spread them wide as far as she could, trying to stretch them, but her room was not as big as Dilandau's. Her wings could spread about halfway, but she had to keep them partially folded. She folded one up and moved to one side of the room and stretched them one at a time. She couldn't help it; She felt she just _had_ to beat one of the glossy, pearl-white wings. She flapped it down, and the force lifted her up into the air about two inches. It caused some papers to flutter off the desk, but that was about all. She smiled to herself and sat down back on the bed, retracting her wings. She decided she'd wait until about forty minutes before he'd pick her up before changing.

She read some more in the book, learning about the language, and she memorized a few words. As she wasn't going to be actively taught Japanese anymore for a while, she figured she should learn another language. Maybe she could learn some from Jajuka? She read some more, and then she glanced at the clock. Fifty-two minutes until he was going to pick her up, and she knew how punctual he was. To the damn second, that boy was. She smiled to herself; she'd not have been surprised to hear of Dilandau standing outside her quarters' doors when the time came, forty seconds early and watching the clock for the second to ring the bell on.

She leisurely got up and stretched. Gabrielle pulled the box out from underneath the bed and opened it. She pulled out the scarf, dress, gloves, and earrings. She kept little Merle's necklace on. The slender girl slipped them on, and fixed them so that they were just right. She did her hair up nicely, put in the earrings, the lipstick, and boots, and went back to quietly reading. She finished another chapter, and then, exactly ten minutes later, right on time, the door buzzer rang.

She stood and went to answer the door, pressing the button. It revealed Dilandau, as expected, but in a completely different suit than she'd ever seen him in before. With one elbow supporting him on the doorframe, his eyes of a haunting blood-wine colour were level with hers. He bore the slightest trace of a mischievious smirk, which was a characteristic expression of his. A long white shirt with small flat buttons was cut to his form, but was comfortably loose on him. A smart black jacket with a slightly lengthened bottom hung open and free from his shoulders. She noted a small, silver pin which bore his initials and symbol of his rank. A fleeting moment of sadness crossed Gabrielle's mind as she saw this - It seemed no matter where he went, he couldn't escape that… Not even for a moment.

Dilandau was just as taken with her beauty as she was with his handsomeness. She looked even better in it than he had imagined when he bought it for her. He'd wanted to see her in it with a desire that was sweet as well as bitter when it was unfulfilled. Now it was, and she shone in glory.

The dress fit her slim frame very well, showing her shape pleasingly. The scarf flowed down her chest with an air of refined dignity. The soft velvet gloves were perfectly cut to the size of her forearms up to the elbow. Her bright blue eyes were harmonized with the other colours of her outfit, and made the colour stand out with a sublime radiance. The earrings hung lightly and beautifully, showing in their symmetry their silver and jet beauty, the light making the small stones held in their beaks stand out a little more.

"So... Are we going to go?" She asked, holding her hands behind her back, slightly shy.

"… Yes." Was the slow reply. She waited a few seconds. He did nothing but gaze upon her, drinking in the sight of her beauty as if he were lost in a dream.

"Ahem, Dilandau?" She looked up at him.

"Go, yes?" He was snapped out of his dreamy state. She smiled slightly. He stepped gracefully to the side to let her out of the room and close the door. He felt almost ravenous in his want to kiss her, but he figured he should save it, even as much as it tore at his insides and raged like fire in every fibre of his body.

She brushed a stubborn strand of hair out of her eyes. "Where are we going, Dilandau?" She asked him. He couldn't tear his gaze away.

"To the ground. I'm taking you to a restaurant there." He said.

"Oh. How will we get there?" She asked.

"Jajuka will take us," Dilandau said, and he smiled at her. "He will escort us all the way down to the restaurant and get us our table." Dilandau explained. Very formally, he extended his elbow to her hand, and felt it slip on the inside of his arm. He led her down the hall, and she followed willingly.

She recieved a few second-glances while walking down the hall, and she smiled, but hid it shyly behind one hand as she often did when she laughed or smiled at something. They reached the place where they were to meet Jajuka in no time at all, and Dilandau rapped on the door. Jajuka emerged, bowing his regal head to them. He was dressed in a very formal-looking azure suit. It was a bright, clean blue, and it's rims were rimmed with a gold thread. His mane-like hair was tied back. He looked just as handsome in his own Melchian way as Dilandau was in his, and Jajuka knelt down formally and kissed Gabrielle's hand. Her hand habitually went up to cover her soft smile and blush. She wasn't used at all to being treated like this.

Jajuka stood and bowed, and then assumed position slightly behind Dilandau to show respect, but he was almost alongstride him. Jajuka asked Dilandau something rapidly in Melchian that she didn't understand. Dilandau replied in the same strange language, and she only recognized the word 'yes' in the sentence, because it was spoken so fast. Dilandau mentioned something in Melchian again to Jajuka, and Jajuka smiled and chuckled.

"What were you two talking about?" Gabrielle asked curiously.

"Nothing, really." Dilandau casually mislead her.

"Curious," She replied wistfully. They arrived in front of a very fancy looking transporter. It looked almost like a type of Railer car, but it hovered above the ground. It could fly, she soon found out.

"People use these to travel from Zaibach to the ground. They're only used on such special occassions as these." Jajuka explained to Gabrielle. Jajuka went and talked to the operator of the car.

"Master Dilandau, you don't mind if two other couples are going on the same car, do you?" Jajuka asked politely.

"No, why?" Dilandau replied.

"Because we can get another car if you prefer, Master." Jajuka said, and Dilandau shook his head. "This one will do just fine." Dilandau said, and Jajuka nodded. He told the operator it would be fine, and the operator lowered the door for all three to step on.

There were several sets of three seats. Two faced the front, and the third was spaced slightly separate from the two and was facing the side door. Dilandau and Gabrielle took the two seats facing the front, and Jajuka took the one facing the side.

There were two other couples, just as Jajuka had said, in the same car. It was tradition for a couple to have an escort to a destination, she found out, and so that was why the seats were arranged that way. After a few minutes of idle chat, the car lifted and disappeared out the bay doors, descending down into a city far below.

Jajuka had his eyes closed and was silent. She could tell he was slightly nauseous. Gabrielle whispered to him if he was all right. "I'm fine. I just get motion-sick in these infernal things." Jajuka said, and he smiled softly. "I can't stand to be in anything that moves like this that isn't a mecha. I don't know, it doesn't agree with me somehow." Jajuka said. His eyes were still closed. "I keep my eyes closed to ward off vertigo. Once we land I'll be fine." He said, and then resumed his silence.

She sat back, but still looked concerned for Jajuka. The ride was fairly short, and the operator announced that they'd landed in less than five minutes time. Jajuka stood up, and he looked decidedly better now that the motion had ceased. Jajuka stood at one of the two doors and let Gabrielle and Dilandau pass by him. Jajuka exited and then assumed his regular position.

Gabrielle looked at some fabulous works of architectury as they walked through the streets. They were in the upper-crust part of town, so their clothes still seemed fancy, but not as out of place as they seemed back at Zaibach. The night was clear, black and starry.

A building came up into view, it was a very impressive looking building that glowed with lights on the inside. Soft violin music and the sound of laughter and clinking champagne glasses emanated through the open doors, as two people walked in behind their escort. Jajuka respectfully lowered his head, and then walked in front of them to the doors of the restaurant.

They entered in the pleasant place, and Jajuka spoke with a female Melchian with white fur. She seemed quite flattered by his politeness and charm. She bowed and welcomed Dilandau and Gabrielle, took their names, and brought them to the elevator. Jajuka bowed and said goodbye. He stood by the elevator until it was out of sight, and then he turned and left, headed back to Zaibach to get some sleep. He was honoured he'd been chosen by Dilandau to be his escort, and he only wished him well as he left.

Another Melchian woman was waiting in the elevator with a clipboard. She'd been given Dilandau and Gabrielle's table number and was going to show them to it. The elevator gently lifted off the floor and came up to the top floor, where there was a beautiful sight.

There was one crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, but save from that the entire room was lit by candles on each table and the star's light. The room was painted in relaxing colours, and there were many plants about the room, expertly arranged and placed in eye-pleasing locations. The room looked stunningly beautiful from all angles.

The Melchian woman led them to their table, and she had them seated. She passed them two menus and left to attend to other tables. Gabrielle read the menu, and she found that all the items on it were of a distinct Italian-like feel. She read it thoroughly, and made up her mind. She'd get something simple, but something she'd always liked. Spaghetti. She remembered making spaghetti at home, and she missed it.

"It's very nice here," She said, as she calmly gazed around at all the simple but beautiful things. She loved looking at the sky and all the stars, twinkling in their pinpointed beauty. The candle let off a soft, pleasant glow. But what she loved most was Dilandau; Sitting there, getting lost in himself and her. He had such a peaceful expression on his face, and something else there, too. Sadness?... No. Happiness?... No, but still, and yet... She couldn't tell what it was. It was a soft expression, his head resting on the back of one hand, his head tilted ever so slightly. It was so unusual for him - a palpable softness that she had never witnessed from him before.

She reached out one hand halfway across the table and rested her hand ontop of his other, still keeping her gaze on his. He seemed to return back to where they were.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Sorry. You looked so... Not here." She said, and smiled.

"Oh," He said, almost sheepishly. "I must have been thinking of what to say again." He said.

The waitress came up. "Sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if you'd decided yet?" She asked politely.

"Oh, yes I have." Gabrielle and Dilandau both said at the same time, and she smiled politely.

"Spaghetti," They both said again simultaneously. The waitress grinned.

"Should I just make that an order for two, then?" She asked.

"Please." Dilandau forced the politeness. "Oh, and a bottle of your finest red wine." He added.

"May I just have a glass of ice water and some tea?" Gabrielle asked.

"Of course." The waitress said, and she was gone.

"Well, um... What did you think of the mission today?" She asked him, at a loss for any other topic at the moment.

"Boring." Was his one-word answer.

"Oh," She replied.

"Except for the part about you getting wings... That was... Fun. Gatti is such an idiot." Dilandau said. "Well, look at it in this light; If Gatti hadn't given me the Med Pack by accident and pushed me out of the plane, we'd probably never have known I'd had wings." She said, and Dilandau considered it.

"Yes, but then there's the fact that he pushed you out of the plane to begin with. Without checking for the orange tag, which was stupid of him. What would have happened if I hadn't had wings? No one would have been able to reach you in time. You'd have died." He said. She agreed.

"Whenever I die is when and where I am meant to die, and there is nothing I can do to change it. Someday, I will die somewhere, and fate will have willed it to be." She said, with a shrug of one shoulder.

"Let's hope it's no time soon. I would prefer you … Stay." He said simply. She smiled.

"Yeah."

The waitress came up with the wine and ice water. She put down the bottle of wine and presented it to Dilandau. She put the ice water on the table, and she took their orders. She wrote them down quickly, bowed, and left again.

Gabrielle listened to the soft music in the background. "Always wanted to play the piano." She said, gazing through the window beside them at the dark horizon. "Never had time to learn. Too busy doing my own things." She said. She sighed. The very last shred of light there was faded and disappeared. "Never taught it in school. I know how to play the cello, though." She added.

"Chell-oh?" Dilandau asked.

"Oh, similar to a bass, but smaller." She said. He nodded.


	12. Chapter 12

"Gabrielle, are you happy here?" He asked her. Her gaze turned from the window.

"Yes." She said, looking out the window, trying to see Earth, the blue planet that they called the 'Mystic Moon.'

"You can't be." He said, tilting his head slightly. "You've been acting so strange lately."

"Oh, I just... I miss everyone back home. But, what really is home? Is this home? Is there home? Am I ever going back...? Where I come from... People don't just get sucked into other worlds through beams of light every damn day!" She exclaimed. "I'm only coming to terms that I have no family now." She said, looking at him. He was silent for a moment.

"You're not the only one." Dilandau near whispered.

He suppressed the prancing urge to say, 'I'll be your family. We can start one.' But it was difficult. "I have no family, either. Well, that's not entirely true. Jajuka is my only family. That and I... guess you could say the Dragonslayers are, too." He said, and she smiled.

"I lived with my mother. My mother and father were never married and split up when I was fairly young. I never saw my father as much as I wanted to. No brothers or sisters, just me." She said.

"Jajuka said I have a brother, but he doesn't know what happened to him. Jajuka is the first one I remember. I don't remember any of my really young childhood... But I guess that's natural." He said, and shrugged a shoulder. "Then Zaibach took me away from him when I was pretty little. I never saw him since until just a few days ago. While you were gone." He explained.

"Yeah. I miss my friends and everybody. It's kind of hard to accept... but my home and my life is here now, so I have to adjust. Yes, I guess the Dragonslayers are kind of my family now, too, in a way." She said, and smiled. "But yes, I am happy here. I just miss my old home, that's all. I'll get over it. I'm a pretty adjustable person." She said.

"I've noticed." Dilandau replied.

"Libra trait." She said and smiled, rolling her eyes to denote she wasn't being very serious at all. He looked confused. "Oh, a Libra is the sign of the Zodiac. The Zodiac is devided up into twelve signs, one for each month. Whichever month you were born under tells you your sign. The signs are determined by the movement of the planets. Whichever sign you are closest to is the personality you are more like. For example, you may be under the sign of Saggittarius, but the birth date is closer to the next month's sign. The person will have characteristics of Saggittarius, but be more like the next sign. October... I mean, 'Orange' is under the Libra sign. What's your birthday?" She asked him. "Red, eighth moon." He replied. "Red... August. You'd be an early Leo. Personality suits you perfectly." She said, smiling.

"What day was it when I came here?" She asked him, wanting to know how long it had been. "Orange, fifteenth moon. Nine hundred hours and eleven minutes." He said quickly, and it surprised her that he knew the exact time. She smiled.

"That's right, isn't it... I came here after my birthday." She said. "Seems so far away!" She laughed.

"You've been here exactly four months, eleven days... twelve hours, and..." He checked a clock. "Twenty minutes." She laughed a little.

"You're exact, aren't you?" She said, smiling at him.

"I guess." He said, sipping at the wine. He sloshed it around in the glass. When to say it... When to say it... He thought repeatedly. He stared avidly at the dark red liquid, swirling from the centrifugal force.

The waitress came back with a large plate of spaghetti. It didn't have sauce. She had two steaming ceramic jugs in her hand, presumably holding the sauce. "I'm so sorry, please accept my apologies, I forgot to ask. Will that be the horsemeat sauce or beef?" She asked politely.

"Horsemeat, please." Dilandau said, and Gabrielle felt her stomach turn over. She loved horses. The thought of eating one made her feel a slight bit queasy. She looked at her lap, crossing and uncrossing her fingers. Dilandau saw her expression, politely hid by looking to the side. It was too late, the waitress had already poured the sauce on the spaghetti, and Dilandau didn't care to send it back.

The waitress left. "Sorry. I like horsemeat. You should have said something." Dilandau said, and Gabrielle looked up.

"Oh, I've never tried it... I just... I..." She said but trailed off.

"... You like horses. It's okay, I like horses too. They use horses that can't work anymore, and they kill them in a very painless way." He tried to be comforting but found himself being quite short.

"So, what about you? What was it like back where you live?" He asked, and she told him, in between eating. She avoided the meatballs still, however.

"Just try them." He finally said, after she'd finished her story.

"Try what?" She asked. He gestured to the chunks of horsemeat. "Nnn..." She made a very slight, barely audible sound of hesitation. Dilandau smiled.

"Go on. I order you. Eat one." She still stared at the thing, fork in her hand. "Come on. You're still in my squad, I can order you to. Eat one." He said, in a relaxed but firm voice. She gingerly poked it with the fork.

"It's not going to whinny and run away," He said, smirking. She gave him a playfully poisonous look, but gracefully brought it to her mouth and chewed the tender meat. It was quite good, and the spices in it were pleasant. It was good, besides the nagging pictures of Black Beauty in the back of her mind, which she tried to ignore.

They finished eating, and the waitress brought the dishes away, balancing them carefully, a stack in each hand. She looked out the window and focused on the glare, checking to make sure there wasn't anything on her face. She hadn't noticed Dilandau had done the same. It had been several hours that they'd stayed there; from nine to midnight. She leaned forwards gracefully, and rested her chin on her hands. She was getting just a little bit sleepy.

Okay, it's after dinner. He thought rapidly, hiding his panicked, nervous thoughts easily. His expression betrayed nothing but a little bit of casual thought. Tell her... Now. No. Not now. Yes. What other chance do I have? He also hid the shaky adrenaline he had flowing through his system.

"Dilandau," She implored.

"Yes, Gabrielle?" "I was just wondering... When I was gone... Were you sick or something?" She asked. "Just out of curiosity." She added. Well, the butterflies just exploded in his stomach. Here it was. The perfect opportunity. His thoughts ground to an immediate halt.

"Beg of your pardon?" He asked politely, just to stall for a precious second while he thought of something to say.

"Oh... Nothing..." She said.

"No, what did you say?" He asked, chasing after the subject.

"Oh, I... I just asked if you were sick while I was away, because after I got back you looked like you had been." She said, and all while she was repeating this, Dilandau was debating with himself at the speed of light to figure out what to say. He felt his palms get a little bit sweaty.

"Yes, and no." He replied. His mind absolutely ranted and pulled at him, as if it were a version of himself strangling the other half. His mind was screaming at him so loud he was almost surprised that she couldn't hear it.

"No and yes?" She asked.

Tell her of your feelings! His mind yelled.

"Well... I, uh... It's just that I now... I mean, I..." He started and stopped like a guymelef with a faulty hydraulics system.

"Oh, you don't need to explain if you don't want to.I don't mean to pry." She said lightly, amd smiled softly.

Oh, if only you knew. If only I could say it! Part of his mind softly said. The voice was growing less and less angry, and more and more sad and desperate. It was fading with every breath that he used not to say those words to her.

What if she doesn't love me, too? Came rejection's voice from back in his head.

What happens then? What if? He listened to this voice momentarily. He swallowed hard, his mouth dry. He'd never experienced this before - Fear, yes, but this had no chance of killing him. Purely emotional fear, and none of it instinctual. It was all very strange.

"Dilandau, are you alright? Maybe we should go, you look rather..." She trailed, concerned for him. He was staring at the table cloth, furrowed in rapid contemplation still listening to these little disembodied bits of his split conscious in his head. Without looking up, he nodded quickly, and that started a massive mental explosion of screams of denial and pleas to tell her to stay.

"No, Gabrielle, please sit down. I have something to tell-" He started, and he was cut off.

The slim Melchian waitress had come walking up. "Oh, please forgive me, I am so sorry to intrude again. Our time scheduler has made a mistake with the table reservations, and this table is reserved to another couple in a matter of minutes. We are so sorry for this inconvenience, and we'll charge everything half price because of this mistake." She said in a genuinely sorry tone, bowing repeatedly. "We must ask that you leave. We have tried to find another table for you, but all are full. We are so sorry!" She repeated. Dilandau nodded.

No! We can't just leave! That's not the way this is supposed to end! He thought, totally confused, and furthermore, destroyed.

I'm supposed to tell her that I love her more than anything, and it's supposed to end with a kiss. Not with being forced out of the restaurant because of timetable mix-ups! No... No, this can't be happening, no... He thought, utterly despaired and enraged. Not another chance gone... Not again, this was supposed to be it... No! He felt he could just scream. A redness of rage filled his body, but he suppressed, lest he succumb. He nodded his head curtly in acknowledgement and payed them the bill without another word.

I hope I can tell her. Somehow. He thought.

They stopped out in front of the beautiful glass doors. The rain was pouring just a few feet in front of them. It seemed to reflect what he felt. Something as new, fresh and gentle as rain, yet marred with sorrow.

"Great," Dilandau said sarcastically.

"What do we do?" She asked.

"I'll 'Com Jajuka. He can get a car down here. I'm not going to stand for you getting wet." He said softly, finding himself unable to even reflect his sour mood on her. He flipped out a device that looked something like a simple pager. He rapidly pressed keys.

"He'll send one down." Dilandau said. "Until then, we wait." Dilandau said, staring up past the roof into the dark skies.

Gabrielle shivered from the wind. Her back and shoulders were exposed to the night, and it was cold. Her scarf fluttered behind her. She tightened it, even though that did almost nothing to help. She said nothing. He turned around and saw her holding her shoulders.

"Cold?" He asked.

"No," She replied.

"Don't lie." He said flatly. A ghost of something comforting came from him that she sensed. She looked up to him and couldn't help noticing... He just looked so handsome. She watched as he unbuttoned his jacket and put it around her shoulders.

"Thank you." She said shyly. She pulled it tight about her. He was warm, and the jacket was, too. It also smelled nice.

He had on a simple black arrow-collared shirt, and she thought he looked very, very good in that. Very good. He looked back at her over his shoulder. Some mental part of her squirmed in a girlish fashion. Thoughts coursed through her mind. She walked up to him and stood watching the sky with him.

The clouds churned in the dark night. The moon illuminated things as best it could, but it could only do so much. Dilandau put one of his arms slowly, and filled with uncertainty, about her waist and they kept each other warm.

A car descended down from the bad weather, and Gabrielle and Dilandau got on. She passed him his coat once they got on the car, because it was warm inside. She watched the city grow smaller and smaller as the cab lifted up and sped away and up. She leaned her head against the back of the seat, and she closed her eyes. The ride was only about twenty minutes long. She entwined her fingers with the unresisting Dilandau's as she sat in the car, gently dozing and listening to the rain.

The car's jolt as it landed woke her with a start. She opened her eyes and found herself leaning on Dilandau's shoulder, his head resting on top of hers. She gently unfolded herself from him, and they stood up. They exited the car, and Gabrielle thanked the driver. Dilandau did nothing of the sort, he was huffy that the driver had taken so long. He paid him his money without a word. His mind still swam.

What am I going to do? What will I say to Jajuka tomorrow? 'No, I just chickened out on one of the most important nights of my life.' I cannot do that. I shall lose face.

"I'm going to go to my quarters," She said to him.

"I'll walk you there." He said, and then it occurred to him. They made their way up to the hallways, past doors, and all the way Dilandau was thinking what to say. Butterflies were fluttering in his stomach again, even more than before. After what seemed like only half a second to Dilandau, there they were. At her quarters. This was it. His last chance for tonight. Could he do it?

Gabrielle punched in the code. The door opened, and she left it, turning back to him. "Hey. Thanks for taking me out tonight, I had a wonderful time," She said, and her kind smile made him feel like more butterflies were emerging out of cocoons in his stomach. So nervous.

"So did I. I'm glad you came." He said calmly. This time there were no manic, desperate voices, only him, and only her. She kissed him on the cheek. "Goodnight, Dilandau. Thanks so much again." She said, a little unsure as to what to do with herself as well. She shyly stepped back to shut the door. Her hand was on the button. Now or never!

She pressed it. "Wait," He said, and she stopped the door.

"Yes?" She asked looking into his eyes. He took a deep breath. He was shaking so badly inside he thought she must hear his heart pounding and his skeleton clicking.

"There is something I have been trying to say to you all night." He took another deep breath, and she was listening avidly. "If I don't say it now, I don't think I ever will."

He had begun the dance, and now it was up to him to finish it. Leaning against the doorframe, he let his head touch it as well, casting his eyes downwards. She watched his thin, fit frame sigh as he searched for words.

"There's just something about you... Ever since you've come here I've felt an abrupt change in me. I am unsure of myself, and I feel things I've never felt before. Things that I've never wanted to feel before.'

"For the truth to be told I must admit that when you were taken away I discovered something. I've been full of anger and hate my entire life, and It's taken you being almost killed for me to put that discovery into words. I realized that, well I took you out to dinner to say this to you, but things got..."

Who would ever have thought that I, so vain, would come to doubt myself such as this.

"I love you."

The lengendary head commander of the Dragonslayers, the infamous cold-blooded and psychotic, ruthless, flame-weilding killer of the Zaibachian army leaned defenseless against the door.

Gabrielle had stood against the doorframe as she listened. Her hand was held up to her mouth. She finally took it away. She put one hand to her shoulder, watching him as his eyes closed. The fixated staring on the floor was apparently even too much for him.

"I'm aware that you probably do not feel the same, but I... Needed to let you know."

The silence was murdering him. Perhaps it was his syntax? His heartbeat pulsed quickly in his throat as he searched avidly for something to say. He was about to turn away in hot shame, when he felt her embrace, loosely cast around his midsection. Her hand ran up and down his spine. He found it exceedingly pleasant, and even allowed himself to relax a little in her arms. He still stood stiffly.

"Gabrielle, I..."

He started, unable to take the quiet, but was cut off by her lips to his. Her arms cast about his shoulders, and he found himself being the recipient of a very unexpected kiss. It seemed to steal all his words away, because as Gabrielle tucked herself to him, he laid his chin on her head, mute.

"I love you too, Dilandau," She whispered. They stayed like that for a moment.

He cleared his throat, thinking again. This was all so strange. Surreal.

"Please, come inside." Her voice was soft, and she took his hand. He did not protest the touch.

"Please forgive me... I'd like to get changed." Gabrielle said quietly. She took off her shoes, sitting on the edge of the bed like she did normally. "I'll be out in a minute." She said with a soft smile, and walked into the small bathroom she had, carrying her nightclothes.

Gabrielle leaned against the wall of the bathroom as soon as she closed the door behind her. Closing her eyes, she smiled greatly with joyous relief, and yet sorrow. Dilandau was her commander. How would this affect him as a leader? Forcing her thoughts aside, she transferred them to him, sitting out in her quarters.

She changed quickly, and emerged after a few minutes in her nightclothes and her housecoat. Dilandau had taken off his jacket and was sitting politely and collectedly upon the edge of the bed, watching her. He fantasized about pulling her onto the bed with him, kissing her all over, from her lips and down her body to her stomach. It surprised him to think this way... With such a thirst, yet not for water or for blood. It frightened him.

Gabrielle was walking over to the bed casually, when she stopped in the middle of a step. A blinding white flash seared through her head, slicing all her thoughts in half and replacing them with an eerie feeling. She only saw a flash, and then the sight came.

She saw a man appear out of the side of the room, holding a needle.

"Relax," He said, but he didn't sound very comforting. She did not consciously do anything to make her body move. It was moving on its own.

"Dilandau!" She heard her own voice shriek, dampered by irrepressable fear.

"He's not here." The man in the white coat with the needle said. Still, she shrieked his name, blindly hoping that maybe he would hear her. "We need you conscious, so it won't knock you out," The man said. She still struggled and feebly called out Dilandau's name again.

"You just won't be able to move. You can breathe and blink and talk all right, but you can't move." The man said. It wasn't Dr. Jerrick, she realized. He advanced, and the fear took her over.

She thrashed and screamed and tried to get away, but she was absolutely helpless. She felt the needle prick her skin, and the mind-wrenching fear increased almost to breaking point. The blinding white hot flash exploded through her head again.

"Gabrielle?" A frightened male voice implored her, and she felt her shoulders being shaken. She shook her head and opened her eyes, finding herself lying on the bed, Dilandau on top of her and shaking her shoulders. The fear still poisoned her mind, and confusion mired her thoughts.

"What? Where?" She gasped.

"Are you okay?" He asked worriedly, still sitting on top of her. She nodded her head.

"What happened?" He asked. He didn't move.

"... I s-saw something," She stammered.

"What did you see?"

"I don't know exactly, but it was unbearably frightening." Her voice was barely above a whisper. Her arms grasped his tightly, with a strength only an adrenaline rush could give.

"I thought you'd had a heart attack." He said, and smiled with his relief.

"Oh," She said, somehow not surprised at his assumption. It certainly had seemed like one.

Dilandau just seemed to realize he was on top of Gabrielle. He wanted to get off of her and aplogize for the sake of being polite, but raging hormones made him want to stay there. He liked being there, and he didn't know why, but something primal within him did. He was confused by this sudden rush of feeling. It felt like he was high up in the air, and then started to drop. It was almost exhilarating, but he felt he desired something. He didn't get it.

That feeling like he wanted to be close to her resurfaced. Close... So close that he didn't get how it was possible. She made no move to push him off, and he just sat there, supporting himself with his arms now, his legs on either side of her stomach. The feeling was monstrous inside him. He couldn't help thinking about it. He was thinking about bending down and starting to kiss her, moving down all the way to her bare stomach, and back up again, all the while her stroking his hair... His eyes were large, pupils contracted to mere pinpoints as he thought of this. He blinked, snapped out of his fantasy, and Gabrielle smiled shyly. She wanted to sit up, but he was sitting right on her abdomen and prevented her. She tried to, and the tightening of her muscles made his mind go wild. She sat up on her elbows, near nose to nose.

He felt very warm, and he didn't know why. The heat hadn't gone up in the room, nor was he in especially warm clothing. She touched his cheek with her hand, and he thought he could leave his body and float upwards from her soft touch.

He was beginning to let his shell crack and fall from him, inside these small walls of Gabrielle's quarters, away from prying eyes. It was strange and confusing. These feelings were so deliciously good... But why? What was 'good?' She moved her arm, and he followed it, eyes closed. She brought it right to her nose, and he followed. She rubbed his cheek softly, and then she kissed him. Perhaps he should just succumb...

Spreading his glossy wings, he felt his body go into overdrive. He almost lost control and undid the housecoat. He wanted to... More than want, need. It would feel so right if he undid that housecoat... But why? Why did he want to? He didn't care. Questions, reasons and answers were melting away fast in his head. The concepts were increasingly foreign. The fact was that he wanted to, and if the hormones didn't stop rampaging through him, he was going to. Soon. He wanted to!

He backed off of her. Gabrielle sat up cross-legged, and looked at him, a soft blush gracing her expression. His wings were still spread, and she touched one of the soft primary feathers. With a gentle flap and a slight movement, he enveloped her in his warm black wings.

In the neatly folded walls of his wings, he felt his hand drawing ever nearer to the knot securing the housecoat. Just one pull on the string of the bow and it would come undone. Then, he could do whatever it was something within him was telling him to.

Undo the knot and slip off the housecoat.

The something had taken over all of his other thoughts, driving him closer and closer to her, and closer to undoing that knot. That knot had become an obstacle, a symbol in his mind of temptation and all the righteousness he'd ever avoided. His hand rested on it, the tight knot securing the fabric in the spot that covered her smooth, flat stomach. His fingers grasped the string of the knot, just beginning to pull it undone.

Psssht. The hydraulic hissing announced the opening of the door. Sudden panic filled Dilandau, and his wings tightly retracted. In his haste to turn he nearly toppled off the bed. A hot, embarrassed rage seeped into his veins.

"You flaming imbecile, doesn't anyone know how to ring a bell?" Dilandau snapped in an annoyed tone of voice.

"It's late at night, and we were... Just learn how to ring a bell, for Christ's sake!" Dilandau snarled. Jajuka was taken aback, and apologized.

"So sorry, Master Dilandau. I hadn't known you were in here! I forgot to, I'll never make the same mistake again." Jajuka said pleadingly, and went down on one knee. Dilandau narrowed his eyes.

"Make sure you don't." He growled threateningly.

"Get up." He snapped. "What was it you had to so urgently tell me that you forgot to ring the doorbell?" He asked irritably.

"We have found someone that may be of use to Gabrielle. This girl says she knows her, Master Dilandau." Jajuka explained.

"So? What's that got to do with me?" He screeched, clearly enraged.

"Apoligies sir, forgive sir, but you are in her quarters, sir." Jajuka rapidly spoke, dipping his head respectfully to enunciate his apologeticness. Dilandau said nothing, but continued to stare at Jajuka.

"So I am..." He spat darkly.

"Who says they know me? What?" Gabrielle spoke up. Jajuka's eyes flicked from Dilandau to Gabrielle.

"Can we talk about that in the morning? Master Dilandau does not wish me here." Jajuka said simply. "Yeah. Sounds good." She said. Jajuka bowed and turned to leave.

"Sorry once again, Master Dilandau." Jajuka said again, and then he left, none too slowly.

"Dilandau?" She implored him once Jajuka had gone.

"Yes?" He replied.

"Are you stressed about something?" She asked. He looked at her, and then sat down beside her.

"... Not really, no." He said in a flat voice that belied his hidden secrets.

"Are you sure?" She asked, looking into his eyes.

"No," He answered almost immediately, with a heavy sigh.

"... Do you want to talk about it?" She asked warmly. He found her so difficult to resist.

"No... Yes... I don't know." He said, shifting his gaze.

"It's alright," She said understandingly, with a reassuring smile, and he had the incredible urge to just break down to her. "I had better get some sleep." She said, still sitting next to him.

"Me too," He said, and he didn't move an inch. She smiled.

"Should I take it you're staying here?" She asked him.

Silence reigned. She smiled.

"Yes, you can stay if you like." She said. "I'm going to draw for a while, so I hope you don't mind the light." She said softly.

"No, I don't mind. I'll watch you," He suggested.

"Better yet, you can be my model." She said with a smile, and she picked up the pencil and sketchbook. Hell, not that I haven't drawn you a million times already. She thought in her head.

He watched her open the book and start flipping the pages rapidly, looking for the next blank one. "Let me see?" He asked, more of a command than a question, peering up to look across at the drawings. "Well... " She sighed. "I guess... " She shut the book and passed it to him.

They were all in pencil, shaded and drawn so well they could have been photographs. There were scenery pictures, such as a Fanelian landscape and Zaibach, at a view from outside. There were sketches of animals, like birds, dragons, a deer, a few sketches of mechas. He was impressed by the attention to detail in drawing his Oreides. It was done correctly down to every last edge of metal, and every exposed wire was drawn in. He blinked at the skill she had, and then turned the page.

There was a sketch of Gatti. His full body, and several heads at different angles with different expressions. He looked exactly as he did in life. He flipped the page, and found another model sketch page, this time of Guimel. He looked at the studies she had done of how to draw his curly hair. He smirked at the title of the sketch. "Sheep Boy" written in Hiragana. He flipped the page and found a picture of Dalet standing, looking in a mirror. Migel was next, Chesta, and several sketches of Jajuka. He saw how she tried to perfect drawing Jajuka's long face, and the way the fur was on his body. He flipped the page again, and he found himself staring directly into a pencilized version of his own eyes.

She had done his face very well. He looked over the sketch. Everything was done well. His scar was even drawn in, perfectly identical to the one that actually graced the left side of his face. He turned the page, and saw several pictures of himself with different expressions, the next page was himself full body, and the next was a picture of Dilandau inside the Oreides with the cockpit open.

She mumbled something in her disappointment at not finding the right eraser, and then came back and sat on the bed. She looked a little embarassed when she saw Dilandau looking at the drawings of himself.

"I wish to draw you with your wings," She said.

"Alright," He replied. She looked to the side shyly.

"I was kind of wanting to draw you with your wings... Without your shirt." She muttered, a small guilty blush appearing on her face.

"Alright," He repeated. He passed her the sketchbook back. She withdrew the pencil from the rings on the spine of the book.

Dilandau undid the clasp on his shirt, and he took it off, placing it neatly beside him. He sat on the bed, cross-legged, his elbows resting on his knees and supporting his head. He spread his wings, keeping the top joint folded so that the primary feathers were touching the bedspread. She loved the pose, and began to draw him.


End file.
